Isaac wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2024 8:47 am Absolutely love this album. Sure, it's one long meditation of an album, but it works for me.

They played four songs off of this in Chicago last year and I recalled each one of them immediately. Cannot believe how great Smith's voice is right now. Totally in control.

His voice really surprised me. It is very good considering his age. I really liked the sonic pallet as well. Gabrels guitars are a good fit over Smith’s melodic style. Although Smith can bash out a ripping solo as well… a la The Kiss. The dank sound leans into their strengths. I didn’t enjoy the “crisp” production of the last couple, among other things.

My son was watching Penguin with us (I think it was Penguin) and A Forest was used in the closing credits. He had never heard The Cure. I find this odd because I have listened to it with him, but I guess he was much much younger. He fell in love with them and said this album is good. I have not yet listened.

Listening today while I'm working on a grant application; other than maybe pulling a little bit of the aggressiveness out of the snare, it's absolutely solid IMHO. Stacks up nicely.

I hated this record. I went in with low expectations having not liked a single record after Disintegration. I actually liked it less than I thought I would. I found the bass tone and drum sounds completely distracting. His voice sounds great though! I think there are 3 songs on there that show promise, but the execution and production just took a major dump on them.

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2024 2:05 am It's decent. It's not great. It's a solid late-era band album.

It's bewildering how hordes of white middle-class men are fawning over it.

NC overall.

As a middle aged white guy after a few listens I kind of get it. The lyrics are kind targeted straight at a MAWG’s heart. Loss of people you love, your own decline, mortality rearing its ugly face… me, like a lot of those other MAWGs probably were really into The Cure around Disintegration during very formative years.

Then knocking out a pretty solid and consistently strong album with those themes is catnip for Gen X dudes that have been very into music for their entire life.

In the UK this hit Number 1 selling more than the rest of the top 10 combined. That’s pretty impressive.

What I've heard so far sounds good. I'm glad to hear Robert's voice so strong.

Gramsci is on-point for me. The record is definitely in their upper tier, more so than anything since 1989, and the opening and closing tracks are truly grand and eloquent, amazing stuff. A lot of my emotional response to it was the thrill that this far down the road they still have the ability to reach such heights. I was an obsessed fan after The Head on the Door captured me at 15 until I lost interest with Wish, so I squarely fit the MAWG trajectory described.
Now I have to find a version I can stand listening to, the sound is brickwalled and shrill for the parts that should be majestic.

I’m no mad Cure fan - 17 seconds was their pinnacle and it can never be equalled imo - but this is great for many of the reasons stated. I love the orchestral kinda lushness - goddam it I’m even gonna describe it as pastoral! Opening track has a lovely slow deliberate feel and the whole thing takes it’s time in a similar way - it’s in no rush to get anywhere and I like that a lot…

A firm NC…

I think it's a masterpiece, but I'm also incapable of being rational about The Cure.

It's their first great album since Bloodflowers. Hell, their first completely good album since Bloodflowers. And it's way better than Bloodflowers.

I saw them play four songs from it last year and was floored. The studio versions are just as great.

I know they'll never return to the spartan, angular Pornography sound, but I'm happy to hear them kind of returning to the orchestrated sound of Disintegration. Give me all those slow tempos and long instrumental intros.

NOT CRAP. Best album of 2024.

I’d say this is a far better record than Bloodflowers, which has maybe two essential tracks and a lot of overwrought filler to my ears. This record has only 2-3 lesser songs and at least four classics.