In 1988, Robert Smith was 29 years old, panicking that he had yet to deliver a masterpiece before the curtain fell on his 20s. He began writing songs that drew on the gloomy sound of The Cure’s early 80s “goth” trilogy, but still retained the stadium-sized pop appeal they had been nurturing on more recent albums. Songs like “Last Dance” and “The Same Deep Water As You” are sprawling and cinematic; expertly-produced updates of the tenebrous mood and atmosphere the band previously tackled on “Cold” and “The Funeral Party”. Even the album’s singles (“Lullaby”, “Lovesong” “Pictures Of You”, “Fascination Street”), though undeniably catchy, are beautifully macabre portraits of devotion and longing. No matter how seriously they took themselves, or how focused on image (or anti-image) they were, The Cure never stopped themselves from being huge. I celebrate their entire catalog, but this is the one I come back to the most. Recommended.

• 180g black double vinyl pressing
• remastered sound
• housed in gatefold jacket w/ printed inner sleeves
• original release year: 1989
• music label: Atlantic 2010

reviewed by charlotte sumtimes 02/2017

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