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The Cure is back and in radio-ready swoon mode, with Robert Smith hitting high notes and the guitars jangling behind his giddiness over the physical rapture you provide him. Porl Thompson (looking not unlike Boy George with his eyeliner and skull tattoo) is back in the recording line-up for the first time since 1992’s Wish, and I’m glad to see (or at least hear it–ugh, that skull tattoo). Hey, maybe that’s why this sounds so much like “High!”
Every listen to this song reveals it as less and less a tired retread of that classic and simply another worthy entry in Robert Smith’s bag of happy hits. But even if it came off hollow, I’d still be grateful that he bothered to revisit this mode, which might be my favorite of his many moods.
“When I see you sticky as lips, as licky as trips, I can’t lick that far.” Robert, you dog!
The Cure – The Only One [YouTube]
The Cure – High [YouTube]
For 3+ minutes there I was 18 again.
I just saw The Cure in Philadelphia this past Saturday. It was a fine, fine show. 65daysofstatic was the opener, and I enjoyed them immensely.
Good to see a semi-classic lineup in place this time around — anyone who thinks it doesn’t matter should just review the past dozen years or so of Cure output. I could swear my hair teased itself out just listening to it.
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I dunno. It’s definitely on point musically, but I think Robert Smith’s voice is starting to wear on me. Maybe it’s just these poor computer speakers, though.
It’s all good. I would say that. Roll on the Hollywood show.
Man, I’d go see them if they wern’t playing The Garden. Just saw Jay-Z there and I can’t take the sardine seating anymore.
*I just wanna dance!*
Lyrically not quite there, and I like my Fat Bob with a bit more reverb to his voice. BUT, I could definitely see skipping around my place to this while making breakfast.
I was 7 when my babysitter introduced me to The Cure. Also Rocky Horror Picture Show. Of course, she was no longer the babysitter when I started running around singing “touchatouchatoucha me…I wanna be dirty”
Anyhoo. I still love them. It takes me back to a simpler time.
I’d still be grateful that he bothered to revisit this mode, which might be my favorite of his many moods.
I thought he only had two: the 3 minute breezy pop confections that all ‘true’ Cure fans sneer at, or the 9+ minute tuneless doomy dirges that send all the casual listeners running the other way?
@HomefrontRadio: I prefer the in-between (ha! no pun intended) stuff: three-minute, super-catchy dirges – “Boys Don’t Cry,” “A Forest,” “Charlotte Sometimes,” “Lullaby,” “Pictures of You” (okay, the original of that is eight minutes, but still…). When they were great, no one did doomy-but-you-can-dance-to-it like Smith & co.
@Chris Molanphy: Ooh! I forgot the ultimate doomy-but-danceable: “The Walk.”
Anybody else notice that this is shot like a Heart video from the 80s? Either long shots of Robert Smith, or close-ups of his face. Good ol’ Rob isn’t as svelte as he used to be. But hey, more power to him…he’s still thinner than me.
@Chris: i prefer the 3 minute candyfloss too, but after ‘Friday I’m In Love’ they seemed to become increasingly more desperate as the effortless hooks of those sort of songs vanished. Can anyone really sing ‘Mint Car’ or ‘Cut Here’? This seems another one of those ‘not quite hitting the mark’ ones to me.