116. The Cure, "Disintegration"

 


As we start to get down to the last 100+ I start to get nervous about who we haven't seen.  Like, there's gonna be a Smiths album on here, right?  RIGHT?  And one of those bands was the Cure.  So here we are.

I can't say I love this album.  I think of the Cure, really, as having two related but distinct sounds - the shimmery, bouncy pop of "Friday I'm in Love" or "In Between Days," and the atmospheric Goth that makes up most or even all of this album.  You can guess which Cure I like more.  I mean, the first Cure album I bought, and the only one I listened to a ton, was Standing on a Beach, the collection of singles that favors the Pop Cure.

But if you want to be deep in your feelings, boy, this album will take you there and embrace you and maybe whisper in your ear "it's ok, no one understands us, go ahead and give yourself a tattoo between your thumb and finger."  I mean, it starts with an orchestral and majestic intro in "Plainsong," and you're like two and a half minutes into the record before you ever hear Robert Smith's voice.  It's absolutely cinematic and you can imagine a generation of teenagers lying on bedroom floors becoming the main character in a very sad film this is the soundtrack to.

"Pictures of You" is slightly more upbeat (slightly), and finds Smith looking at pictures of his beloved.  It's tender and sweet and OH GODDAMIT ROBERT

Remembering you, fallen into my arms
Crying for the death of your heart
You were stone white, so delicate
Lost in the cold
You were always so lost in the dark
Remembering you how you used to be
Slow drowned, you were angels
So much more than everything
Hold for the last time then slip away quietly
Open my eyes, but I never see anything

Can't we just have one moment of fucking happiness?  "Pictures" was preceded as a single from the album by "Lovesong," maybe the poppiest song on here.  Written by Smith as wedding present to his wife Mary, the song is definitely one of the album's bright spots.

Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am whole again

(Although maybe it's really about how Mary does all the emotional labor in this relationship, I don't know.)  The first single was "Lullaby," which doesn't make a ton of sense to me.  I mean, it is a nice enough song, with jabbing guitar and Smith's breathy vocals, but it doesn't strike me as a single at all.  They loved the fuck out of it in the UK, though.

If nothing else, I guess this is the Cure-iest Cure album.  I mean, it's the purest distillation of what the Cure is all about and that's fine.  I just don't love it.

Is this album in my personal Top 500? I'll take Standing but not this one, nah.

Comments

  1. GGJuly 19, 2022 at 4:43 PM

    If this is the only Cure album on this list (instead of "Three Imaginary Boys" or "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me") I'm going to flip out. I refuse to find the list and check, I will only know as your blog reveals the answer in time

    ReplyDelete
  2. StephenJuly 19, 2022 at 8:21 PM

    Where does Boys Don't Cry fit in that dyad you've posited?

    ReplyDelete
  3. TKJuly 20, 2022 at 8:08 AM

    GG: I try not to peek ahead (except for the week I'm working on) unless I absolutely have to, so I don't know either! I think I'll be surprised if there's another though.
    S: Pop Cure.

    ReplyDelete

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