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| FIXH 11 |
release date: Aug. 13, 1985
format: vinyl (FIXH 11) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Robert Smith, David M. Allen
label: Fiction Records - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: A) 1. "In Between Days" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Kyoto Song" (3 / 5) - 3. "The Blood" - 4. "Six Different Ways" - 5. "Push" (4 / 5) - - B) 1. "The Baby Screams" - 2. "Close to Me" (4 / 5) - 3. "A Night Like This" - 4. "Screw" (1,5 / 5) - 5. "Sinking"
6th studio album by The Cure signals a new start for the band after their move away from dark post-punk and gothic rock, as this is really neither despite its often labelled as such. It's hard to categorise but neo-psychedelia and alt. rock are more suitable styles. Since the previous album The Top (May 1984), which nearly showed us a one-man band, The Cure is now a quintet consisting of songwriter Robert Smith on guitars and lead vocal, Laurence Tolhurst on keyboards, and the new members Porl Thompson on guitars and keyboards, Boris Williams on drums and percussion, and a much welcomed return of bassist Simon Gallup.
The album has a highly original sound, dominated by Smith's characteristic voice and flanger-distorted guitar even though it's a band with plenty of keyboards. I recall the summer of '85 when the single "In Between Days" was played on national radio all the time. It was mostly great to see the band become massively popular with a distinct sound, but at the same time a bit sad to witness the progression from cult to mainstream. I really enjoyed this album at the time and many saw this as the rebirth of a band. Before this, The Cure had mostly been a cult band for the few, but it now embraces a whole new and much broader audience. My favourite track then was "Push" with Smith's soaring guitar, but despite the album was an immediate favourite, I also tired soon of the new incarnation of The Cure.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Blender, Rolling Stone Album Guide 4 / 5 stars ]
