Weekly > Reviews
The Cure - 4:13 Dream
I’m probably the perfect person to review a new album from The Cure, not because I think of myself as some super reviewer (that would be ridiculous), more to do with my general indifference with them.
You see I’ve always had The Cure in my life, one way or another, yet at the same time I’m not exactly a fan either. I’ve dipped into their career in buying the odd single of theirs on 7” that has grabbed me, yet album wise despite the fact that I’ve heard most of their albums, I don’t actually own one.
At least that way it’s a balanced view, The Cure have a devoted following and I imagine a fan trying to review them is hard. Likewise they have an equal number of people who really dislike the band, with singer Robert Smith (pictured) the focal point for a lot of that negativity.
Personally even though he’s not really my ideal type of front man for a band, I can’t dispute the fact that he’s an iconic lead singer, with his back combed hair and gothic style of dress, not to mention some of his odd moments of flamboyancy in the past. He also has one of the most easily recognisable vocals, it might not be to everyone’s taste but you know straight away if you hear him sing who it is.
Creatively though I can’t help but think they have been a band treading water for the last ten years or so. I saw them at Glastonbury in 1995 and they were going through the motions onstage. Since then the albums they’ve produced haven’t been anywhere near the level you would expect from them. With that in mind, my hopes weren’t high for 4:13 Dream.
It comes then, as something of a surprise to find that this new long player is something of a return to form for them. It has a resurgent feel to it, the tracks have a real vigour running through them that suggests as a band they feel revitalised, Smith’s vocals are strong and lyrically they seem back on familiar ground.
It’s a very consistent album that has some real moments of musical brilliance in it. Possibly the best is the epic opener, Underneath The Stars, a shimmering track that grows and grows. Sirens Song is another one I’m really loving, It’s got some of the best melody in it they have ever produced.
- The Cure
- 4:13 Dream (2008)
- Category: Album
- Label: Polydor
- Reviewed by: Kev
- Published on: 17 Nov 2008
- Comments: 0
- Beat Surrender Rating:
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Add to favouritesTowards the end of the album you get a trio of brilliant tracks, This, Here And Now. With You, Sleep When I’m Dead and The Scream, all of which have an edge to them that says they have still got fire in their collective belly.
The one track that didn’t sit too comfortably with me was The Real Snow White, as a song it plods where the majority of the album soars. That aside though it’s the best Cure album in the last fifteen years and shows they can still cut it with their advancing years.
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We waffle on enough without letting you lot do it too. Comments are limited to 300 characters.
Try and keep on topic if you can and no insulting the contributors. All hate mail can be addressed to Kev.