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The legendary band fronted by Britain’s mopiest musician, Robert Smith, returns again. Four years after their last release, The Cure have released “4:13 Dream”, which draws on nostalgia from their 80’s heyday while still pushing their work in a new direction. The name of the album itself is a reference to the band’s longevity, after 30 years the band have released their 13^th studio album, and after the departure of keyboardist Roger O’Donnell this marks the first time in a while that The Cure have been paired down to a fighting foursome including Simon Gallup on bass, Jason Cooper on drums, and Porl Thompson on guitar.

On “4:13 Dream”, this time working with producer Keith Uddin who has worked with No Doubt, Bjork, Oasis and many others, The Cure experiment with some new effects and approaches while sounding distinctly like themselves. This can largely be attributed to guitar virtuoso Porl Thompson rejoining the band after leaving in 1993 to play with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. “4:13 Dream” marks the first studio album since 1992’s “Wish” that Thompson Contributed to. His trademarked chorused guitars and wah-wah solos are stamped all over the place. His musical presence is also a huge factor in the renewed vigor of Robert Smith’s vocals and lyrics. On their previous release, “The Cure”, there were some moments that felt like the classic Robert Smith coming through (“Alt. End”, “Taking Off”) but I couldn’t shake the feeling that for all of their effort and Smith’s desire to make a signature ‘Cure’ album that it was still just going through the motions. On 4:13, Robert Smith sounds invested in the music. It is because Thompson has returned to provide a rich tapestry of melody and style that gives Smith’s vocals real traction.

The opening song “Underneath the Stars” starts off with some ragged guitar and reverb and the same tinkling effect that longtime fans will remember from their seminal song “Pictures of You”. Slow melodies sing and roar, bathed in waves of feedback as Robert Smith’s vocals soar above. Immediately following this is a sugary sweet pop number entitled “Only One”, fans of The Cure’s upbeat love numbers like “Friday I’m in Love” and “Inbetween Days” will love this one as Smith croons about all the things he loves about his significant other for as cyclical guitar and marimba melodies ensue. An exciting leap forward for the band on this release is the song “Freakshow” which rides on a staccato vocal delivery and epic wah-wah funk. Heck, there’s even a cowbell here. This is definitely the most fun on the album and on par with English Pop coming out these days. Immediately following this entertaining jaunt is the most beautiful ballad on the record. The slide guitar accented “Sirensong”. The song ebbs and flows along with gentle keyboard melodies and big waves of reverb and the most authentically intimate lyrics Robert Smith has imparted to us in some time.

The Cure is at a peculiar position in their career. It’s well after their mainstream takeover in the 80’s and 90’s, and yet they’ve returned again with their best and most vital release since 92’s “Wish”. It’s true that The Cure have somewhat mined older material for a few songs on the album, for example “This. Here and Now. With You” sounds an awful lot like “Six Different Ways” from their 1985 album “The Head on the Door”, but there’s nothing wrong with that, and I’ll tell you why. This is the first Cure album in a while that feels like its heart is in the right place. “4:13” gives me the same feelings of elation, loss, heartbreak, anger and determination that their best works do. Even the songs that aren’t poised to be released as singles feel like they’re there for a reason and aren’t just filler. The Cure haven’t really forged new ground here, but, boy, have they regrouped and created an album that maybe isn’t their most original, but it is the first one in a long time that feels necessary.

The Cure – The Only One

The Cure Myspace

If you even remotely like The Cure, you should really Buy 4:13 Dream.

It is quite good.