release date: Nov. 5, 1982
format: cd (2009 remaster)
[album rate 4 / 5] [4,18]
producer: Siouxsie and the Banshees
label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: 1. "Cascade" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Green Fingers" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Obsession" (4 / 5) - 4. "She's a Carnival" - 5. "Circle" - 6. "Melt!" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "Painted Bird" - 8. "Cocoon" - 9. "Slowdive"
5th studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees following Juju (1981) released on Polydor is the first to be produced exclusively by the band. As on the two previous releases, the band consists of Siouxsie Sioux on vocals, John McGeoch on guitar and keyboards, Steven Severin on bass, and Budgie on drums and percussion - the perhaps finest line-up of all the various incarnations of the band.
The album reveals an even stronger turn towards more experimentally driven compositions with a daring inclusion of strings and more varied instrumentation. At the same time it's still kept straight and narrow in the sense that each track has a clear and unique expression but also a unique sound keeping it all together as one coherent whole.
A Kiss in the Dreamhouse is one of my absolute favourites by the band, although it took me some time to fully appreciate it. The first couple of years, I was fascinated but not really hooked, but it shows and reflects a fascinating approach of playing with stylistic influences in order to be able to produce a highly original style of their own. The previous albums always contained one or more single tracks with a catchy chorus or guitar signature - the obvious single hit. This is their first album without an attempt to produce obvious single releases. However "Slowdive" was released (Oct. 4, '82) as the first of two singles - followed by "Melt!" (Nov. 26, '82). Instead of glaring singles, it's the entire album that really draws your attention with this release.
The album is the last to feature guitarist John McGeoch who left the band shortly after this and after having collapsed on stage - he was subsequently replaced by Robert Smith of The Cure. McGeoch continued as music producer and was co-founder of the band, The Armoury Show in '83.
Imho, this is one of the strongest and most mesmerising releases of the early 80's as well as one of the two best studio albums by Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Record Mirror 4 / 5 stars ]
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Record Mirror 4 / 5 stars ]
