[bong]

heh... don't ask how i got the album, all i'm saying is that i WILL be buying it anyway, both US and UK versions for that matter because of different tracklistings...
i'm typing this as i listen through the entire album, so my notes do not have foresight of later songs!

1. Lost
a monster of an opener. the song slowly builds up to an angry stormer, with Robert's finest singing yet. he's never sounded as angry and impassionate on record.

2. Labyrinth
kinda reminds me of an really agressive "The Snakepit," with treated vocals, a fuzzy bassline, hypnotic drumming and swirling guitars. Robert's vocals goes to normal (without effects) past a short middle break and sings with vigor about various things gone wrong and not knowing someone anymore.

3. Before Three
a nice heavy song, could be a Single potential (if the "F" word is edited out). Robert sings about days gone by with a deliciously sublime chorus.

4. The End of the World
the first single, and my introduction of the new project, could be the most Radio Friendly one on the album. the song is nice enough, but not particularly gripping or catchy. i like it better this time around, but the handclaps still sounds like it's been sampled from "Bettie Davis Eyes."

5. Anniversary
slow tempo song with fuzz bass, spare piano, synth keyboard chords, and general melancholia. i like it...

6. Us or Them
heavy, hard, and angry, with Robert singing the most spiteful lyrics since "The Kiss" or "Open." i have to say up to this point on the album, i am truly amazed with most of Robert's vocal performances. he hasn't sung like this in years... as for the song... it's okay...

7. Alt.End
sounds like a straight-ahead rocker, singing about The End. it's alright...

8. (I Don't Know What's Going) On
another Single potential, with the most downright lovey-dovey lyrics on the album so far. sounds pleasant enough for radio airplay, also the fact that it's just shy of three minutes.

9. Taking Off
another Single potential. really upbeat sounding pop-song with nice acoustic guitar strumming. the lyrics are almost as lovey-dovey as "(I Don't Know What's Going) On," about breaking the mundane when he's with the person he's singing the song to. the style of the song is very similar to the b-side "A Pink Dream," which is absolutely on of The Cure's best pop songs. "Taking Off" runs just over the three minute mark.

10. Never
another straight-ahead rocker. by the end of the song, Robert's screaming that the person he's singing about will never be in love with some girl. its... ehh...

11. The Promise
the epic album closer, at least on this version of the album. Spiteful and Angry with soft/loud spurts and lots of noisy guitars, makes a great clincher with "Lost." easily the longest song on the album, clocking at just over ten minutes.

so far, a very good first impression. the album as a whole is loud, heavy, and aggressive. it's also very solid and consistant. the funny thing is, it's unmistakable Cure but also very un-Cure-like; it sounds like the band is totally embracing a new direction, and is careful not to use rehashed Cure elements, something "Bloodflowers" relied on. where "Bloodflowers" almost bordered on nostalgia (although i still love the album), "The Cure" sounds fresh and new. i wonder how this album will grow on me for the following months.

 

[Garbz]

i'm not such a fan of this type of music, but i'll look forward to playing it at my next party because of it's heavy and recent style.

 

[DarkAngel]

Thanks for impressions Bong, but.......

I will at least listen to some music samples when available, but I have little hope I will buy this new album.......personally feel Cure has no real quallity work worth buying since 1989 Disintegration album (fitting title he he)

 

[Riordan]

bong, thanks a lot for the preview

i like the direction this seems to have gone...

 

[plainsong]

I can't stress enough how much I disagree with DarkAngel... but that's not a slam or anything, considering I'm one of what..5 curefans worldwide that actually liked WMS.

I like it when bands try new things, and The Cure seems to do it better than most. You just can't really label The Cure, no matter how many times people try, and that's why I like 'em. I already have this album on order.

 

[DarkAngel]

Bong & PS.......just for discussion sake, what are the two weakest Cure full albums for you?
(don't say they are all great

)

 

[plainsong]

Hmm, well it depends on mood, in all honesty. One week it could be Disentigration, the next week it could be Wish or WMS. Last month I was listening to Kiss Me a lot. Last week it was Head on the Door. Cure records that were good but didn't speak to me personally were Faith (Shock-gasp!

), 17 Seconds (Double shock-gasp!) and Bloodflowers. In all honesty I haven't spent much time with Top.

edit - the one getting the most play time is Join the Dots.

Bong, would you say this album could be Son of Kiss Me & WMS?

 

[strike]

Personally, the Cure had an amazing run of 3 albums in which they could do no wrong. Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, Disintegration, and Wish. While the latter had some severe tracklising problems, and should've dropped one or two (maybe three) tracks in favor of some vastly superior b-sides, those three collective groups of songs stomped some major booty (b-sides included).

I think they should be slapped for most of Wild Mood Swings, with Want and Jupiter Crash being excellent. Trim that album down to maybe 10 songs (maybe 9) and I think you've got yet another winner.

I skip two tracks on Bloodflowers, and Watching Me Fall is just too long for me. Otherwise, a solid "end."

I don't think too much of The End of the World, but I did like the other new songs I've heard when they played at Coachella. I'll be buying the new album the day it comes out, but I'm not expecting too much. Stupid multiple releases! I'll download the ones not available on the various imports, hoping that I don't like them! Because if I do, there's more money I gotta spend to get them!

 

[plainsong]

I guess with certain bands it can be a really heavily personal thing because I do still expect a lot from the Cure and they really haven't let me down yet.

 

[dabblerblue]

I can't wait for the new album! Apparently the best songs have been left off for whatever reason as b-sides, at least according to whoever runs the A Chain Of Flowers website...

I think my least favourite Cure album is probably Wild Mood Swings, due to songs like The 13th, Strange Attraction, and Return. However, Want and Bare are so damned good, along with the b-sides from that era...

My personal under-rated album is probably The Top, since I seem to ignore it so...it's not always easy to listen to, sometime.

 

[plainsong]

Poor Top, I always flip past it too. Are we going to have to wait for an addition to Join the Dots before we here the b-sides in one place? Why oh why..

And hey, I like Strange Attraction - mainly because I lived that one... and "same soft blood sweet flowing hand" is a great line.

But as I said before, there's only 5 of us worldwide that like WMS. Treasure and Bare are very personal but have less to do with a person and more to do with saying goodbye to my first and only horse that grew up with me. I left for Finland, she stayed behind and had been like my best friend. Well, it's unorthodox but I think that helps you understand why those two songs would make me bawl everytime I hear them.

 

[strike]

Going to Tower Records tonight to pick up the new album at midnight... can't wait! I'm not expecting much but hey, I'm still excited!

 

[plainsong]

Strike, I have the album now, and while it's a very personal thing, whether or not a particular Cure album will touch you personally or not... but I think you can expect a lot. I'm halfway through now, and so far this album is really really really speaking to me in a way that Bloodflowers did not. It's not the same old Cure sound, but it is still The Cure. And this album so far is really rocking. YMMV, depending on your emotions and life experiences.

edit - the music is great, and it's cool that it was recorded live.. but when my husband heard it with his 770s and he said it was bass-shy, I thought he was insane. I wouldn't call it bass-shy but I know what he means, the recording can be just a tad hot in places. This is the first Cure album that I don't like the sound quality... but I'll have to get past that because I like the music.

 

[strike]

Awesome, glad you like it.

Hopefully people will post reviews here. Personally, I'll give it at least a week before commenting, just because I like to give music a good number of spins so it can really settle in. That's just me, I guess.

For example, I thought WMS was great at first, but in all honesty, I was kidding myself. A think a lot of the songs are horrible (I stand by my previous statement that if it were cut down, or some tracks were replaced with b-sides, it'd've been great). Also, I thought OK Computer by Radiohead sucked. I was going to return it, when I decided to listen to it one last time. It grew on me so quickly after that! It's one of my top 5 albums of all time now

On the whole I haven't liked much of the stuff I've heard post-Bloodflowers. However, a few of the new ones sounded great live. I'm excited, but I'll reserve judgement for a week at the very least. Man, I wish it were midnight already!

 

[plainsong]

I appreciated what Bloodflowers was saying, but it didn't speak to me personally. I think it's impossible to post reviews of most music anyway because it really depends on what effect it has on your personally.

This cd does speak to me because of things that have happened in my life. And I like the way their sound is evolving, but that's all I can really say.