The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.
Year: 1988
It takes a special kind of band to continually push boundaries, venturing beyond one’s comfort zone but simultaneously staying true to one’s essence. Siouxsie & The Banshees belongs in this prestigious category. Album to album, they have a history of folding in new genres into their post punk foundation. Even at their highest commercial success – the single “Kiss Them For Me” – they still stayed true to their essence. And one of the greatest examples of the band’s innovative side is “Peek-A-Boo”.
“Peek-A-Boo” sounds like one part circus, one part torture chamber, two parts industrial factory. Siouxsie sings with a highly unusual delivery, and every musical element – the accordion, the keys, and the drums – contributes greatly to the celebration of industrial noise. Gone are the guitar hooks. And even Severin’s bass is barely detectable on the track, aside from a few revs here and there. The track belongs to Siouxsie and Budgie, whose drums provide all the hooks you need.
“Peepshow, creepshow, Where did you get those eyes?”