I Made a Promise to Myself...

The Cure - 4:13 Dream

Ever since the birth of the Cure over thirty years ago and through a multitude of personnel changes, there have only been three other musicians in the band that managed to not only match Robert Smith in talent and technique, but also push the band's principle songwriter creatively. Those three musicians would be bassist Simon Gallup, guitarist Porl Thompson, and drummer Boris Williams. It's practically indisputable that the Cure's most successful era, both artistically and commercially, was when all three were in the band at the same time. Not to undercut the contributions of Roger O'Donnell, Perry Bamonte, or Lol Tolhurst, but Gallup, Thompson, Williams, and of course Smith were the driving forces behind The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Disintegration, and Wish.

I bring this up in my review for the newest album but the Cure, 4:13 Dream, because I believe that it is the best album by the band since that historic period. While Robert Smith was able to retain Simon Gallup during the interim, Wild Mood Swings, Bloodflowers, and The Cure, all fell short for various reasons. Wild Mood Swings was too long and didn't have enough really great material to justify the length. Bloodflowers was D.O.A. due to being over-hyped, too many expectations, and the strange need to force a third chapter to some imagined trilogy. The Cure was a move into the right direction and overcame a lot of what weakened the previous two efforts. Still, the primary reason why these three albums could not come anywhere close to the "Big Four" was due to a lack of creative challenge from the other musicians. Bamonte, O'Donnell, and drummer Jason Cooper are all very skilled, but their playing lacked the identity and ability to add to Smith's songs that make them more than the sum of their parts.

4:13 Dream is the first album in sixteen years to feature Porl Thompson. I've never been shy about the fact that Thompson is the biggest influence on my own guitar playing, so when his return was first announced, I was more than excited. He's an amazing musician and deeply creative. His playing has always stood as a brilliant juxtaposition to Robert Smith's guitar work. Perry Bamonte did a fine job, but apart from a few overused guitar licks, I could never tell where Smith ended and he began. This has never been the case with Thompson. The new record is made even better by his return.

Not that Porl Thompson should get all the credit, but his return seems to have lit a fire under both Robert Smith and Simon Gallup. Gallup's bass work seems more inspired by Thompson's output. It's as if he saw a creative challenge and was able to rise up to meet it. More importantly, Smith has finally reestablished himself as one of the most important songwriters in the last three decades.

In the last decade, Robert Smith's most annoying habit as a lyricist has been the pro/con, positive/negative writing. It practically ruined Bloodflowers for me and smacks of laziness. Sure, he still employs a variation of this on "The Perfect Boy", but this is an instance where it actually pushes the song's narrative and it really works. There are still songs where gold, silver, and crystal replace each other or there's a new season per verse, but it isn't as noticeable as when a verse is completely repeated except that "always" is replaced by "never". So as far as lyrically crafting goes, 4:13 Dream is a major step up over the previous three records.

Another noticeable improvement on 4:13 Dream is Robert Smith's ability to change up his singing rhythm from song to song. His singing has always been brilliant and that voice is unforgettable, but delivery has rarely varied. Not so on the new album. On "This. Here and Now. With You" he slowly builds over the duration of the song and crescendos at a brilliant bridge. Like the music, Smith's delivery on "Underneath the Stars" moves at a glacial pace. There's fury in "The Scream" and "It's Over", which is he sings at a breakneck speed. All of this helps in giving each song a unique identity.

"Underneath the Stars" - This is a really amazing opening track and ranks up there with some the best openers from the Cure's catalogue like "The Kiss", "Plainsong", and "Want". "Underneath the Stars" is truly majestic in nature and moves at a slow but determined pace. It calls back to Disintegration more so than any song produced since that landmark album, more so than anything on the supposed sequel Bloodflowers. Why it took almost two decades for Smith to create a track that could rivals the beauty and power that encapsulate that 1989 album is unknown. Maybe he just stopped trying so hard and let it come naturally.

"The Only One" - I wrote quite a bit about this song when it was released as the first single earlier this year. What I will mention here is that it's placement as the second song fits with the tradition of upbeat pop songs that get the album rolling forward like "Play for Today", "Primary", "High", and "Club America". This isn't the best song on the record, but it's a sweet, dumb, fun number and very much in the tradition of one of the Cure's biggest hits "Friday, I'm in Love". Like that polarizing track, "The Only One" may have some inane lyrics, but the guitar work is skilled and fluid.

"The Reason Why" - The pop continues with this awesome number. Simon Gallup's bass has never sounded this much like New Order's Peter Hook as it does on the opening lick for "The Reason Why". That's not a bad thing and he doesn't over do it. Porl has his own catchy riff during the verses, too. This is the type of song that made me fall in love with the Cure in the first place. It's melancholia wrapped in a brightly colored package. This song definitely could be released as a single and is one of my favorite tracks on an already excellent record.

"Freakshow" - I went into depth on this number when I wrote about the single. It continues to grow on me with each listen and the studio version is still better than the live rendition due to all the instrumental layering.

"Sirensong" - This is a pleasant mid-tempo acoustic strummer. What really sells this song is the slide guitar work by Porl Thompson. This is something unique to the Cure catalogue, but it feels natural and not forced. I also really like the layered "she said, she said" vocals that proceed the chorus. Short and sweet.

"The Real Snow White" - Like "Freakshow" I wasn't totally sold on the live version of the song due to it sounding thin with only Thompson on guitar. The recorded rendition is a whole lot better. The Cure almost sound like the Pixies here with Smith's sly phrasing and Thompson's collapsing guitar line. Definitely a grower.

"The Hungry Ghost" - This is another song that could have easily been released as a single. "The Hungry Ghost" is a solid pop/rock number that features some uncharacteristic outward looking lyrics from Smith. His forte is romance and falling in or out of it, but this is one of those rare numbers where he increases the scope of his themes. Luckily, it isn't as obvious or clumsy like "Us or Them". Thompson employs an echoing, almost Edge-like guitar part for this number.

"Switch" - On a few Cure albums there's a song that seems to not fit into the overall scheme of the record as smoothly as the others. Not that they're bad songs, but "Wendy Time", "Strange Attraction" (correction: this song is painfully abysmal), "Anniversary" don't seem to gel as naturally with their respective albums for some reason or other. "Switch" is that song for 4:13 Dream. This sort of "machine rock" number (see "Wrong Number") isn't as organic as the two rocking closers on the album, thus sticking out a bit. This song gets points for Thompson's crazy intro, though.

"The Perfect Boy" - I've already raved about this song enough when I reviewed the single. It's still one of the best songs Robert Smith has written in the last decade and a half.

"This. Here and Now. With You." - This is a pleasant little builder. It starts off low and gentle and climaxes into a beautifully loud (but not rocking) bridge. Smith gets to use some interesting vocal phrasing on this one, too. If anything, it serves as the calm before the closing storm.

"Sleep When I'm Dead" - This song begins the build towards a loud, violent conclusion to 4:13 Dream. I wrote about "Sleep When I'm Dead" back when the single was released. It's still a song that continues to grow on me. I hear elements of "The Hanging Garden" in the bass during the verse. I really like the chaos of the bridge near the end. It acts as a hint of what's to come.

"The Scream" - This brooding builder is fantastic. It seems to take the best elements of the rockers on The Top and the legendary, unreleased "Forever" and perfect them. I wonder if Gallup broke any bass strings on the madness that ends the song. Thompson's guitar turns into a swarm of bees by the conclusion and Jason Cooper does some of his best drum work here. Smith's wailing is spot on here.

"It's Over" - There's a reason why the Cure closed the primary set of their shows this past tour with this number; how can you possibly continue to play another song with out a break after this high speed, brutal number? This is the type of track that "Give Me It" and "Shiver and Shake" always had the potential of reaching but never quite achieved. Layers of insane guitars by Smith and Thompson, thundering drumming by Cooper, and an impossibly amazing bass line by Gallup. Smith sings at 100 miles per hour which just increases the intensity. "It's Over" blasts in, does the job, and gets the hell out. If the next album is to be the darker sister to 4:13 Dream, then it has been savagely set up by this awesome song.

If I had one real gripe about 4:13 Dream, it would be the over reliance on vocal effects, but it's not enough to diminish everything I enjoy about the record. 4:13 Dream is the type of album by the Cure that is in the spirit of The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and Wish; it’s made up of a batch of songs that showcases the many styles of the band, leaning more towards the pop and the rock side of their sound. I would put its quality on par with Wish. While Wish had more songs that I would consider classics, 4:13 Dream holds together better as a collective unit. If this is the "dream", then I'm looking forward to the release next year of the companion album for the "nightmare".

8 out of 10

So Come On, Jump With Me

The Cure - The Perfect Boy (Mix 13)/Without You

"The Perfect Boy" is the fourth and final singles to be released once a month before the new album by the Cure which has been rescheduled to drop in October. Of all the new songs that the band has been playing on their recent tour, this is the one that I've enjoyed the most ("Underneath the Stars" is close second). It sounded really great on the multiple live recordings I've listened to and I've been very eager to hear a studio version.

For the most part, "The Perfect Boy (Mix 13)" lives up to my expectations, but I have one problem with this single mix: the vocal effects. There is way too much reverb throughout the song and a slightly distorted chorusing effect during sections of the pre-chorus and refrain. It doesn't add anything to the song and can be a little distracting. I'm going to assume that this is part of the single remix and that the album cut will be less doctored.

However, that's my only beef with this single. The rest of the song is pure Cure gold. This is the best single to be released by the Cure since "Mint Car" (a truly glorious pop song in of itself). I would go as far as to say that this is the best song Robert Smith has written in over a decade for various reasons.*

"The Perfect Boy" is a wonderful example of sonic build, climax, breakdown, and resolution. The song begins with just Robert's voice and muted guitar part. Simon Gallup and Jason Cooper come in on bass and drums after four quick lines. At the same time, Robert's guitar part is echoed with a distorted line. Guitarist Porl Thompson holds back until the pre-chorus and then continues to provide splashes of chords during the second verse.

Things really get rolling with the second chorus. A few things happen here that brings the song to a head: Robert doubles the number of lines, there is some guitar layering, Jason continually smashes the hell out of the cymbals, and most importantly, Simon changes his bass line to include a slide during each line. For me this is the highlight of the entire song and it really peaks musically here. This is followed by pulling everything back except for Robert's vocals and original guitar line. "The Perfect Boy" resolves with the instruments picking back up to the level played at on the second verse.

Lyrically, this is one of Robert Smith's best songs in quite some time. Ironically, it plays with a device that I've grown tired of him using: positive and negative verses. However, it really works within the context of the song's narrative. The first verse is from the point of view of the girl that thinks she's found the perfect boy. She wants to take things slow and enjoy the relationship as it unfolds. The second verse is from the boy's perspective. This guy doesn't care to wait around. Not only does he want to get physical, but he doesn't want to stick around for the afterglow ("And I don't want to get obvious, But I have to be gone by three.")

The boy's lines are direct responses to the girl's words and he comes off like a bit of a jerk. He tells her that her world of two people "doesn't happen for real". At the same time, though, he plays head games by saying "If it was meant to be us, it was meant to be now. Don't see the sense in wasting time." Then he agrees that they're "on the edge of a beautiful thing" and delivers on last coaxing line, "So come on, jump with me." This guy is not the perfect boy. This guy is a real bastard. At least, the "happy ever after" girl realizes this by the end of the song. Unfortunately, it isn't really clear if she fell for this guy's lines first, but we're left with a sense of hope that she'll someday find "the perfect boy".

I must mention that Robert Smith delivers a really great vocal performance on "The Perfect Boy" despite the heavy effects. He changes up his vocal rhythm throughout the song and doesn't rely on any of his patented coos and squeals. This combined with everything I've mention comes together to make a really fantastic song. Bravo!



The B-Side is a non-album track called "Without You". It is dominated by an acoustic guitar part that recalls some of the better parts of the Wild Mood Swings sessions. This is a step up from "Down Under", but definitely feels like B-Side material next to the other singles. A solid track but nothing outstanding.

9 out of 10

*"Out of This World" was the previous owner of that title and is a wonderful album opening track. "Maybe Someday" is excellent, but loses points for that organ solo. I really like "Cut Here" as a non-album single, but it always felt like it was missing something. "Before 3" has that clumsy bit of swearing. While beautiful, "Taking Off" is a poor man's "Just Like Heaven". I better stop before I find myself defending this statement against every Cure song released since 1998.

They Told Me I Would Live Forever

The Cure - Sleep When I'm Dead (Mix 13)/Down Under

"Sleep When I'm Dead" is the third of four singles to be released once a month before the new album by the Cure drops in September. It's the strongest of batch so far. "The Only One" was a sweet, pop song and "Freakshow" was a weird, fun number. "Sleep When I'm Dead" is more of a spooky rocker. I figured that each song would portray a different side to the "Cure sound", and I wasn't disappointed. Despite mixing up styles, all three songs (plus their respective B-Sides) hang together really well.

Simon Gallup's jagged, stuttering bass line is the major player in this arrangement. It gives "Sleep When I'm Dead" a dark, new wave fell with a lot of forward movement. Not that the other musicians are slouches. Jason Cooper remains solid on the drums, Robert Smith's vocal delivery is the best it has been in over a decade (the same can be said about all the recent singles), and Porl Thompson squeezes out more funky, wah-wah guitar goodness. This time he plays more of a rhythm part rather than riff it up like he did on "Freakshow", but it's still pretty fantastic playing.

One thing worth noting is the keyboards. This four piece version of the Cure does not have a dedicated keyboard player and are very guitar driven in a live setting. However, they are wise enough to realize when a good piano or synth line helps build up the layers and atmosphere on a song. As "Sleep..." climbs towards the end, the keyboards rise slightly in the mix; not enough to overpower, but enough for emotional intensity.



The B-Side, "Down Under" is the weakest song of the lot, so far. It's not a bad song at all, but it reminds me of the B-Sides that came out during the Wild Mood Swings period. Most of those songs all sounded alike and "Down Under" falls into the same category of being inoffensive dream pop, but nothing spectacular. When vocal effects are heavily used on a song, as they are on this one, it makes me think that something was missing.

7 out of 10

It's the Same, But It's Not Quite Right...

The Cure - Freakshow (Mix 13)/All Kinds of Stuff

"Freakshow" is the second single of four to be released once a month until the Cure's new album comes out in September. As with the "The Only One", this single sports a unique mix from the album version and a non-album B-Side. It's a neat plan I'd the monthly single schedule is getting me pumped for the new record.

To tell you the truth, when I first heard live versions of "Freakshow" a few months back, I wasn't impressed. Robert Smith performs it without a guitar, leaving the other three members to bash out the music on their own. Also, Porl Thompson plays more of a lead line on the guitar rather than a rhythm part, making the it sound sonically a bit thin.

The recorded version is a vast improvement. Porl's guitar parts are multiple and funky. Robert's vocals get layered during the chorus and drummer Jason Cooper's playing sounds tighter. There's even cowbell! Simon Gallup reins it all in with a solid bass line.

Lyrically I have know idea what the song is about. Something about a strange woman, some crazy dance moves, and an alien crowd. But the off-beat arrangement and odd words come together to make one of those "weird fun" Cure songs in the vein of "Hot, Hot, Hot!!!" or "Let's Go To Bed". The Cure haven't decent one of those since "Club America" back in 1996. This kooky little number is grower and more memorable than last month's "The Only One".



The B-Side, "All Kinds of Stuff" is another beast altogether. It's the kind of rock song I've been looking forward to ever since Porl Thompson rejoined the Cure. Porl does alot of the heavy lifting here, freeing Robert to deliver a rapid-fire vocal performance. If this is the kind of rock song that gets regulated to B-Side status, I can't wait to hear the other loud numbers that will be on the album.

As far as the lyrical content is concerned, this is another song about Robert's ability to create relevant material, similar to "39". Unlike the obviousness of "39", this one is simply a better song, both in words and music.

7 out of 10

I Love What You Do To My Heart

The Cure - The Only One (Mix 13)/NY Trip

The Cure are finally getting around to releasing their next album later this year. Until then, they'll be releasing a new single around the thirteenth of each month. There will be four before the full length record hits the markets in September. In addition, each will sport an unique single mix that will be different than the album version and each will come with a non-album B-Side.

"The Only One" is the first single and it became available this week. I've been excited to hear some new recordings ever since my guitar hero and on-again/off-again Cure member, Porl Thompson, returned to the band a few years ago. Not that Perry Bamonte, who played guitar for the Cure for the last decade in Porl's absence, was a bad guitar player, but his style was very similar to Robert Smith's, so it lacked identity. Sometimes I couldn't tell which guitar parts were Robert's and which were Perry's. His playing was identifiable when I would hear a brief guitar lick here or there, but that's about it. Porl's guitar work is very different from Robert's and it has a distinct flare that is very much his own.

Since Robert's main instrument on "The Only One" appears to be the baritone guitar, I'm under the impression that Porl is handling most of the guitar work on the track. His playing here is more in keeping with songs like "High" or "Friday I'm in Love"; arpeggiated runs with shimmering tones. He gets a chance to knock out a pretty cool guitar solo near the middle, but as with past Porl rock out moments, it's buried in the mix. Maybe, the album mix will have it pushed up more.

Lyrically, "The Only One" fits the pattern that Robert has fallen into since around Bloodflowers. Too often his lyrics take a motif or theme and run it into the ground or he'll sing a positive verse followed by a negative verse (see "Bloodflowers"). This song falls under the former category. He sings to his lover that "I love what you do my head" in one verse, "I love what you do to my heart" in the next, and the same for "lips" and "hips". This is cute, but not that inspired. Also, Robert gets as much mileage out of words that rhyme with "scream" (which is followed by "extreme" and "dream") as possible. Cute and fun, but not very deep.

Still, I'll take a song like this over most of what came out of Wild Mood Swings and Bloodflowers. Not a bad start and with four preview singles for their thirteenth album, the Cure have plenty of opportunities to show the band's many signature song styles. This one gets filed under "upbeat pop".



The B-Side, "NY Trip" is a different beast altogether. This track is more of a sly, funky track, somewhat in the vein of "Wendy Time". Porl is given more of an opportunity to rock out on this song. The guitars bleed in and out and there are plenty of wha-wha and effects goodness.

Vocally, Robert sings in a way that he hasn't in a long time. He gets to have fun with his voice and his delivery isn't as straightforward or generically "The Cure" as "The Only One". Maybe this is due to the Cure not having done this kind of song in years. Whatever the case, it makes for a fun listen.

6 out of 10