There’s no other way to say it: The Cure’s newest album, 4:13 Dream, misses the mark.
The Cure was born out of the ashes of punk rock in the late 1970’s, and their musical style has always been an alternative one. They were young, earnest, experimental and unforgiving. 4:13 Dream tries too hard to tap into that youthful voice again. Ultimately, many of the songs sound like they’re missing that extra something that might be contingent upon youth.
The album opens with a dreamlike, dramatic guitar solo in “Underneath the Stars.” While the music is pretty, it ends up being sort of boring The song never really takes off.
A handful of the songs on the album have noticeable traces of their older songs, especially “The Only One” and “The Perfect Boy.” “The Perfect Boy,” which is perhaps the best song on the album, has a catchy chorus and captures the raw emotion of young love. Robert Smith, the lead singer and songwriter, showcases his characteristic high register and distinct, identifiable quality of his voice on these songs.
There is a dreamlike theme throughout the album, reflected in both the background music and in the lyrics. In “Sleep When I’m Dead,” there is a haunting quality of the music highlighted by minor keys and unexpected chords. The lyrics reflect that dreamlike theme, as well, with “Sleep when I’m dead, you angels/I’ll sleep when I’m dead, I said.”
A few of the songs on this album attempt to capture the earnest sound of their earlier albums. “Freakshow” incorporates elements of early punk rock, but it’s too polished and produced. “The Scream,” which showcases Robert Smith’s impressive lungs, is backed by impressive guitar and unexpected moments of musical brilliance.
The Cure doesn’t do anything innovative or new on 4:13 Dream, but the band proves that they can still rock, even though the songs aren’t as good as their earlier songs. This album may fall on deaf ears, since they’re unlikely to win any new fans as a result of the album and older fans may not find anything on this album exciting enough to peak their interest.
It’s hard not to draw comparisons between The Cure of then and The Cure of now. While many of the songs on 4:13 Dream are well-written and well-produced, they seem to be missing the liveliness that characterized their music in the 1980’s.