WhatzUp

The Cure
The Cure
by Greg Locke

I should start by saying that I’ve never really been a huge advocate of The Cure. I’ve always liked their hits and been on friendly terms with their albums that I know, but I’ve never really regarded them as a great “album” band. As far as singles bands go, they’re surely one of the 80s’ top artists, rivaled only by The Smiths, R.E.M. and U2, all of whom managed to release numerous great albums in their heydays and, in the case of R.E.M. and U2, still do so with some regularity. I try not to be sad, I’m too golf to be Goth and I rarely find the ability to relate to Robert Smith’s melodramatic songwriting. Regardless, I love 80s teen movies and jangly-arena rock, and all things that go along with them. The blanket statements just want to pour out, but, really, I’m here to talk about The Cure’s latest retirement album, The Cure.

Beginning with the poppy prog-rocker “Lost,” Smith wallows “I can’t find myself” (as though he once again means it) over dense synth layers, effects and guitar treatments. Recent hipster bands such as Interpol, Hot Hot Heat and Bright Eyes have embraced The Cure sound so intimately that “Lost” almost seems hip itself. Really, if you aren’t familiar with 80s Cure, you might even think that “Lost” was ripping off current trends. Next up is the sitar- (yes, sitar) driven “Labyrinth,” again, another prog rock composition centered around Smith’s always approachable delivery and infectious knack for writing Trapper Keeper-bound hooks. Eventually the sitar drops off and the guitar layers kick in. Cure fans everywhere wet themselves as their hero sings “it’s not the same you and it never really is.” Classic, easy Cure.

On a less approachable note is The Cure‘s 10-plus minute closer, “The Promise,” an ambitious feedback-cluttered epic full of catchy lyrics and convoluted textures. Very capable of making six-minute heroic pop songs, The Cure stutter in their latest attempt to move into more progressive territory. Much of The Cure feels like progressive rock hiding behind pop structures and catchy hooks.

It’s obvious, specifically on the song “Anniversary,” that The Cure are fully capable of moving towards a more ambient and creative direction. Songs like “The End of the World” and “Taking Off” argue the opposite. Currently making the Mtv2 rounds, “The End of the World” is goth pop-defined for a new, younger fan-base in need of a new hero. Smith isn’t hero quality anymore, not for pop fans anyhow. The Cure is a confounding release for many reasons; the labored compositions are very well played, the melodies are catchy, and the classic Cure sound is there, but despite the factors, the album just doesn’t seem to cut it like it should. Maybe with some help from Mtv2, The Cure will be a hit again. Likely not.

I’m not an expert on The Cure or Robert Smith. However, it’s obvious to me that The Cure is the product of a band that isn’t sure where it wants to go or if it wants to go any further. The Cure is both a great album for die-hards and new fans alike. While it won’t satisfy every listener, it should keep The Cure legacy going a little bit longer. My outsider opinion on Robert Smith has me thinking that it’s time for him to begin recording more abstruse albums minus the pop blanket that goes along with calling yourself “The Cure.”