Queen Elizabeth has some competition as The Cure dynasty threatens to outlast the monarchy. The Cure burst onto England’s musical scene in 1976. The four-person band, made up of Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson and Jason Cooper, have produced yet another album. On Tuesday, the album 4:13 Dream was released for fans’ listening enjoyment. Shortly before the release, The Cure performed for MTV at the Piazza san Giovanni in Rome. To add further bragging rights, in August 2008, The Cure had four songs on the U.S. Top 20 at the same time. As evident in our current governmental administration, America’s judgment is not always sound.
With a musical sound fusion with modern parallels to 30 Seconds to Mars meets the Postal Service and with vocal stylings offering the inspiration to Bright Eyes, The Cure fits in the genre of alternative rock quite nicely. 4:13 Dream satisfies the indie rock fan while leaving the radio enthusiast disappointed and unamused. The Cure’s newest album acts as the perfect fitting room music for trendy stores like Urban Outfitters and American Apparel; however, bust out this CD on Friday night Halloween parties and see what happens. … It is likely multiple drunken, costume-wearing students may proceed to boo and kick some ass until the melodies of Ludacris are restored.
4:13 Dream features 13 tracks, the first of which, “Underneath the Stars,” lasts for an unnecessary six minutes and 13 seconds. Die-hard Cure fans are familiar with the British band’s signature long, instrumental introductions. In this respect, the album is in the same vein, following the pattern of long intros in almost every track. For this reason, 4:13 Dream satisfies listeners who look for experimental instrumentation and trippy beats.
The second of 13 songs, “The Only One” features a slightly more upbeat tempo; however, the lyrics are far from brilliant: “Oh I love/ Oh I love/ Oh I love/ What you do to my heart/ When you push me back down/ And then pull me apart/ I love what you do to my heart/ It’s the best, oh yeah.”
“The Reasons Why” carries the heavier message of suicide. The dark lyrics, “I won’t try to bring you down about my suicide/ Got no need to understand about my big surprise/ I won’t beg to hang you up about my love of life/ If you promise not to sing about the reasons why,” depresses even emo fanatics while providing no real substance.
The songs “Freakshow,” “Sirensong” and “The Hungry Ghost” follow the same transcendental effect branded by The Cure. “Sleep when I’m dead” and “The Perfect Boy” continue the pessimistic view of the day-to-day struggle between life and death. 4:13 Dream concludes with “It’s Over,” and listeners will be glad to hear so. While the album highlights the incredible instrumental talent that has kept The Cure an indie favorite, the dragged-out musical interludes and spoken word musical style in 4:13 Dream is best taken in doses.
