After Join Hands, guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris departed the Banshees, leaving the band at a crossroads. Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin elected to soldier on with ex-Slits drummer Budgie and two guitarists, ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones and John McGeoch of Magazine as guest Banshees. Despite the personnel upheaval, the result is a surprisingly strong record: Kaleidoscope. While a number of the songs here are still dark-hued and feature bleak lyrics, they are made very palatable by extraordinarily imaginative production values featuring intricate synthesizer-flecked arrangements; psychedelic touches in Christine, spaceship synthesizer swoops in Tenant, and rhythmic camera clicks in Red Light all enliven their respective songs. Sound quality here is lighter and much clearer than on previous releases. Sioux's singing shows noticeable improvement here, still tuneless at times but also exhibiting more range and subtlety than previously. The song Hybrid, a Joy Division-style number, shows her vocals running the gamut from primitive to inspired. Other highlights include the galloping, vibrant up-tempo number Skin, the spooky and atmospheric Lunar Camel, the medium-tempo rocker Trophy, and the punky vocalise Clockface. Kaleidoscope was a make-or-break album for Siouxsie and the Banshees, and happily the band came through strongly. ~ David Cleary, Rovi

1		Happy House
2		Tenant
3		Trophy
4		Hybrid
5		Clockface
6		Lunar Camel
7		Christine
8		Desert Kisses
9		Red Light
10		Paradise Place
11		Skin

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