Description

At this stage in their career, the Cure really have no right sounding as good as they do on this, their self-titled 14th album. But from the opening, off-kilter chords of “Lost”, where singer Robert Smith cries “I can’t find myself” with all the miserablism that’s become their trademark, the Cure sound most definitely on-form. “Before Three” bursts forth with an exuberant yelp, but then becomes tainted with melancholy (why is it that Smith was only happy in the past tense?), while “Us or Them” has a driving, dirty bassline that’s become their other trademark.

True, The Cure doesn’t have any immediately accessible pop moments, but they were always a great album band who only periodically stumbled across a radio-friendly tune–after all, even their classic Disintegration only boasted one obvious pop tune in “Lovesong”. And while it’s true that The Cure isn’t as good as Disintegration (few albums are), it’s still the best album they’ve recorded since then. Producer Ross Robinson, best known as the man behind the dials for metal acts such as Slipknot, seems to have inspired Smith and the boys to do that which they do best, i.e., sound like the Cure. It’s good to have them back. –Robert Burrow