The biggest difference here is that it sounds like Robert Smith has selected a completely different band to record the new songs with. The melody and passion are still alive, but the ethereal, sweeping dynamics and multiple melody lines are absent. It sounds like the album was hurried and recorded without the thought and effort required to create a timeless release that The Cure is so capable of.

The lyrics, although not bad, did not grab me. The best words written by Robert Smith reach out and grab you by the heart or by the throat. On this record you have to make a conscious effort to hear what he is saying. The music is not as symbiotic with the words as on previous efforts. I really, really want to praise this CD, but it lacks the lush, artistic, introspective swirling that made us fall in love with this band. They come close on the first single, The End of the World, but even this song has an "Ooh Ah Ohh" vocal line which sounds like a direct rip off of Squeeze's Cool For Cats.

The band recorded the album live with a new producer, so this is where I lay the blame. 25% of Robert Smith's talent lies in the overdubbing, recording studio process. The new approach works at times, especially on the exceptional Us or Them (my favorite on the album) and the Pornography throwbacks The Promise and Labyrinth, but why they would change a formula that is timeless is still a mystery to me. Fortunately for Cure fans Mr. Smith is still an emotive and talented songwriter. The songs are valuable; they just haven't been washed, waxed and shined to show off the true beauty underneath.

Track Listing:

1. Lost
2. Labyrinth
3. Before Three
4. End of the World
5. Anniversary
6. Us or Them
7. Alt. End
8. I Don't Know What's Going On
9. Taking Off
10. Never
11. Promise
Plus Enhanced CD Data

Rhapsody Playlist - The Cure: The Cure

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