This LP is a classic case.  It's a mixture of songs the Banshees were clearly influenced by, and some they just like.  They've risen to the challenge of making the songs 'theirs', and on the whole they succeed.

The faithful, tasteful 'I Am A passenger' should have them flocking to the record store, but Sparks' This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of us' jars; a real no-no.

Most songs have absorbed the Banshees' theatrical personality but the slower numbers definitely work best.  Haunting strings and a drunken jazz trumpet give us a sad and beautiful 'Strange Fruit' and 'Trust In Me' (from Walt Disney's 'Jungle Book') is a swirl of ethnic drums, seeping harp and sensuous vocals.

An interesting album, well worth a listen, but it's more likely to capture and convert new listeners than excite die-hard Siouxsie fans. 

3½ out of 5  

Alison Higgins

Trying to criticise her, and it is all her, is rather like trying to make up your mind whether or not you should piss on Ian Curtis' grave, knowing intellectually it's right, but feeling it instinctively to be wrong.  To piss or not to piss - that is the question.  We believe instinct is less of a lie than intellect, the the former can lead to embarrassing breakfasts, so we'll not piss.  In fact we giggled and we doubt that such innocent laughter will cause any further embarrassment.

Siouxsie has always managed to give empty threats an unnecessary depth.  That's her strength, she puts mirrors on the floor and asks you to believe you'll fall through them, or at the very least, should you look down, you'll see something very nasty indeed.  And "Through The Looking Glass", though far more elegant, has more empty threats than a dosser in a meat wagon.  All of the tracks are chosen for their very light darkness, their penumbra if you will, and their Twilight Zone mysticism - "Hall Of Mirrors", "Strange Fruit", "Sea Breezes" .... it's silly isn't it?  But it's not bad because almost any song is a suitable vehicle for Siouxsie's voice.  In fact, it has been suggested that she could make a passable album out of singing A-H in Thomson's Directory.

Other than "The Scream", Siouxsie & The Banshees have never released a "classic" album and this one follows proudly in their tradition of sublime mediocrity.  It's not so much that the singles save the albums, it's that the albums throw the singles into shinier relief.  And "Through The Looking Glass" having one single, has potentially another two, "Gun" and "The Passenger".  "The Passenger", always a great song spoiled by it's singer, is now bigger, better, more glitzy and horny and more stylishly tacky than ever before.  Is it reverent?  Is it irreverent?  No, actually it's irrelevant.

Should you be gifted with the ability to dance while you're splitting your sides then it's likely you'll enjoy this album.  Should, you be a member of the moral minority that still takes the Banshees seriously then it will come as a horrible shock because they're not taking you very seriously.  But it's too late to piss, they've already ripped it. 

The Stud Brothers