4:13 Dream

It’s hard for me to pick up anything new by The Cure and actually be able to give it an honest chance. The band fooled with my head with “Wild Mood Swings” in 1996, then confused me further with “Bloodflowers” in 2000. The self titled 2004 record completely turned me off and convinced me that The Cure had traveled down a road that I was no longer interested in following. What really killed it for me was the production on their 2004 effort. Robert’s voice sounded too nice and the silly effects and production tricks stuck out like a sore thumb. This is exactly what I expected from their 13th, and most recent album “4:13 Dream”.
I could tell what this record was going to sound like just by looking at the cover artwork. It looks like a combination of their 1992 album “Wish” and their last release, self titled from 2004. The vocals are still crisp but not as processed as the tracks on the S/T album and the overall mix is pretty solid. The production effects are successful and buried within their original sound. The songs are pretty good, the lyrics are the best they’ve been in a long time, and the overall vibe left me feeling satisfied. The actual “punch” that The Cure delivered from 1976-1992 is still struggling to be noticed. I would say that this record is a very good move for the band. To me, it feels like a record for the fans, if the fans could only forget the disappointment with their last two releases.