Siouxsie - Mantaray

All is not what it once was. The opening sounds of ‘Mantaray’ are like the world grinding to a halt on a metallic axis before starting to spin in an entirely different direction. ‘Into A Swan’ is the name of the track in question and it’s a diamond strong declaration of defiance and power. It’s like a lioness, looking all sweet and cute before you get too close and it rips your head off with one swift bite of the jaws.

This is the first time Siouxsie has released a solo album and you’ve got to ask why she’s waited so long with the sheer dazzling majesty of the music she’s currently creating. ‘About To Happen’ bounces along in an infectious, gloriously violent rhythm – and when Siouxsie tells you to ‘Get up, get out/Don’t hang about’ you’d better jump to it. Elsewhere, ‘Here Comes That Day’ is a moody and sultry jazz tinged number (calm down, goths – it ‘s only a mere hint of brass stabs) which makes Amy Winehouse seem as sophisticated as Britney Spears on a hen weekend, while the expansive, soaring ‘If It Doesn’t Kill You’ is like the theme music to the dark and twisted James Bond film they will probably never make. The woozy, boozy keyboards on ‘They Follow You’ make it a definite highlight and in this album of watertight quality tracks, that’s no mean feat.

It’s reassuring to hear that without her Banshees or Creatures to back her up, Siouxsie can more than hold her own and throw in several new dimensions to her unique brand of music while she’s at it. ‘Mantaray’ confirms what some of us have long known - that Siouxsie is an adept and cunning musical chameleon.

Long live the ice queen of cool.