The Cure -- Hipster Music

Boys Don't Cry

It's like punk turned on its ear. I guess it's post-punk. It's spare and dark and claustrophobic in its spookiness. This is The Cure. I can't say the boys sound terribly proficient, or even really familiar with their instruments at times, but with the rolling bass lines and staccato guitar, it certainly sounds relatively modern in its retro-ness. There's some swinging Brit pop (a la Blur--but way before Blur) in here too, which seems a little weird given their darker leanings, but they're perhaps still feeling their way through things. This was really their introduction to the US--and what a debut! The thing is all sorts of cool. I mean "Killing An Arab?" Whoa. It's sparse and angular and prickly, but has melody and panache. I almost cry when I hear this thing--so f you!

Disintegration

This was actually one album after I really stopped listening to The Cure. Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me was my end point. They were just too much of a larger version of their goofy self. Leave it to me to stop listening right before the band becomes massively popular, and releases some of its most memorable songs in its catalog. This is the one that got Smith the Bentley and the cottage in the countryside somewhere. The ubiquitous "Pictures of You" and "Lovesong" are literally in every fifth commercial (even now in the later half of the aughts). They've finally found the right balance between gloominess and poppiness and have churned out some really great pop songs here, full of feeling and love and a tinge of sadness. It does sound like Smith is actually at peace in some way, looking back on his life with some regrets, but ultimately with some positive energy for once. What a perfect album to help usher out the 80s.

Faith

My favorite track on this, and honestly one of favorite Cure tracks is "Primary." If only the rest of the album sounded like this one. Instead it sounds as if the whole album is drowning. Maybe it was recorded at the bottom of a pool or in a puddle of Robert Smith's tears. "Primary" is pulsing and angry in its loveliness (and lovingness). The rest of the album is kind of drab in comparison. I try to imagine myself having any fun actually playing these songs in the studio or in concert, and I just don't get it, really. I guess it's an esthetic, but it's a weird one for me. I just don't dig the dreary Cure, even though they're the mope rock pioneers. Granted, the album is only eight tracks long, and at least two of the songs aren't completely gray ("Doubt" being the other one), so I guess their sadness quotient (1 out of four) isn't as high as it could be.

Mixed Up

I generally hate remix albums. I mean if the thing sucked so bad to begin with, why do you need to remix it? I mean I don't mind when somebody remixes shit and throws it up online. I listen to it once, it's a novelty, and I throw it in the recycle bin. To actually charge for music I already have (don't get me started on Greatest Hits albums) seems just a little dubious to me. As far as remix albumas go, this isn't the worst one in the world, though. I suppose if you had never heard The Cure before and bought this album, you wouldn't be horrified. The originals are better, of course, but whatever.

Pornography

When was it considered okay to only have eight tracks on an album? Today that's called an EP, but what the hell do I know; The Cure seemed to get away with it on a regular basis. This is the one where I really start to hear that "Robert Smith" voice. You know the one. The one that whines and mopes and sounds like he's crying when he orders fish and chips. I used to imitate that voice all the time in college when just going about my regular day. It's fun, you should try it. It's a little banshee for me, this album, but it does engender the whole Cure aesthetic. I wish they would find somebody, now that they have this more lush sound, to twiddle the knobs a little and release them from the murk.

Staring at the Sea: The Singles

There isn't a jukebox on earth) or at least Manhattan) that doesn't have this album in it. It captures the best of The Cure's earliest music, and is the best jumping off point for the introduction to their "hits." I owned this on tape years ago, and upgraded to CD years later when my last tape deck went south. It certainly pours on the nostalgia pretty thick, and is a quintessential album for any music-lover's library. Granted, every retard and his brother also has this thing, so beware when you're judging and sneering at someone's collection (like I always do) when seeing this thing on the shelf. Don't forget about "Lovecats." Ew.