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The Cure Album: “Cure [Bonus DVD]”
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Release Date:2004-06-28
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Type:Unknown
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Genre:Adult Alternative, New Wave, Brit Rock
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Label:Geffen
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Explicit Lyrics:Yes
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UPC:0602498628904
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Review - :
For a long time, maybe 15 years or so, {$Robert Smith} rumbled about {$the Cure}'s imminent retirement whenever the band had a new album ready for release. Invariably, {$Smith} said the particular album served as a fitting epitaph, and it was now time for him to bring {$the Cure} to an end and pursue something else, maybe a solo career, maybe a new band, maybe nothing else. This claim carried some weight when it was supporting a monumental exercise in dread, like {^Disintegration} or {^Bloodflowers}, but when applied to {^Wild Mood Swings}, it seemed like no more than an empty threat, so fans played along with the game until {$Smith} grew tired of it, abandoning it upon the 2004 release of his band's eponymous 13th album. Instead of being a minor shift in marketing, scrapping his promise to disband {$the Cure} is a fairly significant development since it signals that {$Smith} is comfortable being in the band, perhaps for the first time in his life. This sense of peace carries over into the modest and modestly titled {^The Cure}, which contains the most comfortable music in the band's canon -- which is hardly the same thing as happy music, even if this glistens in contrast to the deliberate {\goth} classicism of {^Bloodflowers}. Where that record played as a self-conscious effort to recreate the band's gloomy heyday, this album is the sound of a band relaxing, relying on instinct to make music. {^The Cure} was recorded and released quickly -- the liner notes state it was recorded in the spring of 2004, and it was released weeks later, at the end of June -- and while it never sounds hurried, it never seems carefully considered either, since it lacks either a thematic or musical unity that usually distinguish the band's records. It falls somewhere between these two extremes, offering both towering minor-key epics like the closing {&"The Promise"} and light {\pop} like {&"The End of the World."} It's considerably more colorful than its monochromatic predecessor, and the rapid recording gives the album a warmth that's pleasing, even if it inadvertently emphasizes the familiarity of the material. Which is ultimately the record's Achilles' heel: {$the Cure} have become journeymen, for better and worse, turning out well-crafted music that's easy to enjoy yet not all that compelling either. It's not a fatal flaw, since the album is a satisfying listen and there's also a certain charm in hearing a {$Cure} that's so comfortable in its own skin, but it's the kind of record that sits on the shelves of die-hard fans, only occasionally making its way to the stereo. [{^The Cure} was also released in an edition with a bonus DVD, containing an 18-minute "Making of {^The Cure}" video, which would have been far more interesting if it had actually lived up to its title instead of being a collage of in-the-studio footage scored to instrumental backing tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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