Throwback Thursday Vol. 5: Juju - Siouxsie and the Banshees

By 1981, punk had already shaken up the music world, but Siouxsie and the Banshees wanted to do more than just follow the noise. Their fourth studio album, Juju, pushed into darker, more atmospheric territory and became a defining release of the post-punk era.

Juju blends sharp, angular guitar work from John McGeoch with Siouxsie Sioux’s commanding vocals. The result is intense but precise. Songs like “Spellbound” and “Arabian Knights” aren’t just moody, they’re tightly structured and layered. It’s the kind of album that doesn’t sound like anything else from its time but still holds up today. This album wasn’t goth in the costume sense, it was about tone, tension, and texture. While mainstream music leaned towards glossy pop in the early 80s, Juju embraced something colder and more complex.

While the album wasn’t a chart-topper, it was a touchstone. You can hear its influence in later, more mainstream artists like Radiohead and the Cure, and even in parts of modern indie and alternative music. If you’re into music that challenges norms and creates its own world, Juju is worth checking out.