by Chris True Given the title and the rather obvious cover art, it would appear that the husband and wife duo explores Japanese music on Hai. Well, if that's true, it's actually not very obvious from the music. In fact, if there was an attempt at anything here, it was more to strip down the electronic/industrial affectations of Anima Animus and go back to the more organic-sounding Boomerang. If that in fact was the intent here, they pulled it off in spades. Where Anima Animus sounded like an attempt to stay with current trends (something Siouxsie and company have never excelled at), this sounds like Siouxsie/Budgie at their natural best, doing what comes naturally to them. With its Japanese references and use of chants, it does gently touch on that country's traditions, but its sound doesn't deviate that much from the supposed Spanish qualities of Boomerang. While it's certainly a return to form (one has to wonder how much the Banshees reunion fired them up), it's not the magical step forward and amazing return that Boomerang was. While its general lack of dynamic moments is disheartening, its coolness and subtle twists and turns lay the foundation for possible greatness to come. Let's hope.