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Review Summary: A number of great tracks amongst a higher number of near misses Wild Mood Swings
There comes a time in every music collector’s life when they come to the end of the discography. This happened a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon the Cures “Wild Mood Swings”. Having heard nothing but bad things, and the song “Mint Car” (which wasn’t at all what I expected from the Cure as a first single), I was reluctant to part with the £5, but for the sake of completion, I thought I’d better.
Imagine my surprise when I heard opening song “Want”. This is everything the Cure did well. The drawn out intro, the whiny vocals, the epic synth strings, and the climax at the end. It’s an all around good Cure effort. What is there not to like?
Then, after about 5 minutes, the answer became more apparent.
The album soon goes very below standard for a Cure outing. Second song “Club America”, for one. Catchy guitar lines and over-the-top drums can’t save this. Smith adopts a low baritone voice that just...doesn’t fit with the Cure sound. The vocal melody in itself is rather nice, but the lyrics are nothing what you’d expect from the band, and Robert himself.
Soon, poor song after poor song inhibits the entire album, with the overly cheesy sounds and drawn out sound. Normally, I’m one to love the drawn out simplicity of Cure songs, but normally Smith will have a gorgeous vocal line and heartfelt lyrics to back it up...it’s just not here on Wild Mood Swings. Many of the songs sound rather samey as well, and if it weren’t for the odd intro to the start of some of the songs, it would feel like one long song. Also, Smith finally loses his marbles on the song “The 13th”. What, pray tell, was he thinking? Cheesy brass sections and dodgy rhythms is just not what the Cure do best, and I fail to see how Robert missed it.
The album isn’t without its high points though. Previously mentioned opening song “Want” is a highlight in itself. “Strange Attraction” is another classic, while “Gone!” is a direct hit with the new Cure sound. Here, the childish melodies are put to good use, and backed up by the Smith of old and a basic drum beat. “Round & Round & Round” is another high point, with the whole band in a seemingly comfortable situation over a beautifully honest song.
The album greatest accomplishment is the phenomenal “Jupiter Crash”, often complimented for its choppy drums. The song is the Cure of old, combined with the lush instrumentation from 1992s “Wish”. Robert is on “Full romantic” mode, but the song has its share of new ideas, the bass climbing and descending to give the song a bit more depth, and the classic Cure chorused guitar sneaking its way in there. The song is in the same style of the beautiful B side “Ocean”, and even opens with some ocean sound FX. It is by far the best song on the album.
Over all, the album is far from perfect, but is complete with a few diamonds in the rough that are worth digging out if you have the time.
Recommended songs...
Want
Jupiter Crash
Gone!
Strange Attraction
For the more dedicated fan...
This Is A Lie
Round & Round & Round
Treasure
Bare
Thanks for reading, hope it helps you decide on the album.
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solid review! never been a fan of the cure, but i've got disintegration on my laptop somewhere and it's not bad.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
never been a fan of the cure, but i've got disintegration on my laptop somewhere and it's not bad. Disintegration is The Cure at their peak. There is a later album, "BloodFlowers", that is a throwback to Disintegration in a way. This album is, like the reviewer basically said, crap.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Nice. 'Mint Car' is OK but yeah, it's not what you'd expect from The Cure
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I want this.
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This really isn't as bad as everyone says. Yeah the pop songs aren't as good as Just Like Heaven or Lovesong, but if you only listen to The Cure for the pop songs you're doing it wrong.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Decent album. Some songs are just.... just not good. But Want, Round & Round, Strange Attraction and Jupiter Crash are excellent so it pushes the album into good territory. I feel it's a bit unfairly rated by many. Also, I enjoy Club America. He tried something new and it's catchy and fun. The bass really drives the song. I however do agree that Robert went overboard on The 13th.
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Treasure is pretty cool. Haven't heard the rest of this though besides Mint Car and Want.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Bloodflowers was the only later stuff they did that i really liked
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Really Menawati?
4:13 Dream is excellent man.
As for this album I think it's a bit underrated. I feel about a 3.2/5 on this one.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
"Want" is the only song worth listening to on this album. The rest sounds nothing like The Cure and like uninspired rock music....
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Finally started listening to this (one of only 2 Cure albums I haven't listened to) and you know what, it's not nearly as bad as I've been told for years. Granted, I'm only like 4 tracks in...
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Actually the weird experimentation of the album starts in the second half artis but still is not as bad as reviews want you to believe. Maybe it's a little bit optimistic in comparison to the previous albums but it has the signature sound of the band all over.
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Ok good to know. The only other album I haven't listened to is The Top, what do you think of that one?
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
this has a few missteps yeah, but nothing too terrible or unlistenable. if anything they shouldve leaned further into the pop sound like on 'mint car' or into their classic grandiose style like on 'want' - those are the 2 best tracks for sure.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
If this wasn't the Cure it would be a pretty good album but I expect more from them. Not bad just uninspiring as if Robert was out of ideas and threw things in just to make a different noise or sound. Out of ideas and recycling the infrastructure of classic Cure. Wanted to give it a 3 but just lacking.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
this is really not that bad
Want is a top tier Cure song
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Still a lot better than the standardised drek released nowadays but for its time and for the band it’s not that great.
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First of all, if you didn’t get disintegration, there’s nowhere for us to go here. Or maybe anywhere. More on topic to this album, tracks that are great, unmentioned in other reviews, Numb is also amazing.
I was maybe 18 when this came out. And Wish was my whole understanding of something better than Pop crap. Something that has tracks other than those on the radio, that blow your mind. Solos just for the beauty, the emotion, not just the hysterical metal radio. Tracks that don’t care about the radio, tracks from the heart, from a real musician, a true genius. I was hooked, huge fan, for life, clearly, but did I love the cure the cure (self titled)…I have to say, I must still be missing something… But, at least in my life, that’s what an open mind allows, an artist allows it another artist for certain (but maybe not an American), that I’m not an instant idiot for the instant perfect deified artist’s perfection. So, tonight, I’m happy to report, that I finally GET more of this album! And wow, it’s a fuck celebrity and America message, kind of obvious right? But why would it care about being your next Lovesomg? Now I’m proud of this one too. And I know, I’m the ass for having taken this long. He’s woke yo, don’t toss out tracks because you don’t get them, actually, listen harder.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
The Cure’s weakest. But that’s one hell of a discography tbh.
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First of all, if you didn’t get disintegration, there’s nowhere for us to go here. Or maybe anywhere. More on topic to this album, tracks that are great, unmentioned in other reviews, Numb is also amazing.
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