4:13 Dream

Obviously nobody's expecting them to record anything revolutionary at this stage of their career, but it's fair to say that this album will probably only get Cure enthusiasts excited.

What Smith sees in goth-metal is a mystery but, sure enough, the final third of 4:13 Dream is studded with the sort of big-haired, suffocating fluff ('The Scream', 'It's Over') that has blighted his band's reputation in recent years. A shame because, at best, when they reconcile themselves to the fact that they are essentially a pop act, albeit one whose dark side is more pronounced than most, the Cure are as thrilling now as they were in the Eighties.

The four-piece line-up allows for some breathing space amid the existential shitstorm. [Dec 2008, p.101]

The songs generally hold up, but the production job remains confounding. Keith Uddin’s meaty fists have ruined this album.

In the end, 4:13 Dream is nothing but a solid to shaky late period album from a band that’s due can’t really be understated.

Self-parody has lately been The Cure's greatest enemy: here, happily, it's not the main attraction. [Jan 2009, p.113]

Sprawled over 13 tracks, The Cure have attempted a microcosm of their oeuvre in one volume and despite their lofty ambitions, the results are a decidedly mixed bag at best.

The tunes are occasionally catchy, if too often merely adequate, and the instrumentation feels like a familiar, if torn, blanket when it’s not trying too hard.

Despite the preponderance of sprightly tempos and sing-song hooks, nothing about 4:13 Dream feels especially light, perhaps because Robert Smith chooses to pair these purported pop songs with a heavy dose of affected angst.