Seventeen Seconds

A Forest is one of my favorite Cure songs and a bunch of this sounds pretty similar in a dark kind of tone, not the poppy art pop that we’d get from them later. It’s hot it’s place, for sure.

What a funky album. I like later more pop sounding Cure music but early Cure is where it's at. Very weird and psychedelic but still new wavey. A Forest goes really hard. Not sure why but this album gives me big sci-fi vibes like this would go well in the Matrix soundtrack or something like that.

It was good, somehow I felt some songs scary. However, the rest of the songs fell like music to fuck. I don't complain, it was a good experience. 6/10.

The Cure is an incredible band who led new age rock into an amazing new era. By comparison to their discography, this album was kinda weak sauce. A Forest is an obvious banger and I loved how cohesive the whole thing felt. It really gave the impression that they wanted a pseudo-concept album. But I just don't think it landed as well as other projects by the group. Stand out track: Seventeen Seconds

Kind of have mixed feeling about this album. It has some cool melancholy vibes and is consistent throughout the piece, but I feel like every track has an interesting idea that they don't quite utilize to it full potential. Nothing stands out and as a result this album is pretty boring. It worth one listen, but I don't think I will ever voluntarily listen to this album again Favorite Track: In You House (Because it reminds me of Death Cab for Cuties modern stuff)

Some good tracks, didn’t hold attention as we as some of their other albums, give it a decent 3

It’s a beautiful, hot summer day and I am on vacation right now. I want to be in the sun, living large, chasing dreams! I don’t want to be sad and gothic. I like and appreciate The Cure, but this is not the vibe for today, it’s not meshing with my mood. No no. Too dark and depressive for my spirit to take right now. It’s more of a Cure greatest hits situation over here instead.

A very good, but not amazing Cure Album.

This isn't my favorite Cure album and I don't think it is the best Cure album either. It is notable for being the album that kind of solidifies the band's sound and having "A Forest" on it. There is some sameness to this album but it's not bad. Nearly every track has a somber beat and crawls along with that beat. Not a criticism, but it isn't as varied as the Cure would be in the future. Essentially, this is the album before the album(s) that make the Cure a great band. This is the sound.

This album got me through 7 airplane delays. I appreciate it for that. 3.5/5

3,5?

Mostly acoustic, kinda echoey/atmospheric. Decent background music

dark and somber record, some nice tracks on it

A haunting experience that for some reasons relies too much on the underproduced vocals. Why do that for every track on the album? I think 'Desintegration' is the better album because it was way better produced.

Play For Today is good but this album keeps coming in and then jumping into the background. Like I don't give a shit about The Final Sound or Three, but A Forest is a total bop!

It was alright. Not my favorite cure album

Nice vibes and enjoyable to listen to, but it didn't do enough to remain memorable to me. Instrumentals have a nice tone.

A rather sleepy yet stimulating turn for The Cure after the bang that was Three Imaginary Boys but it was a turn that implied what was coming next on the horizon. Atmospheric sounds and shorter pieces hold together this not-quite masterpiece as bigger things are ahead. Favorites: A Reflection, Secrets, In Your House, A Forest, M, Seventeen Seconds.

Yea, now we talking! Def dabbled with the cure. I like the albums that followed as they were more production heavy and dark, but this was still a good listen. 80s UK pop-punk is awesome.

Good album, not their strongest or most exciting though. Largely just ambient sounding instrumentals, almost sounds like it's incomplete with Robert Smith not yet having recorded the vocals

i’m a big fan of the cure but this album seemed to lack a lot of depth. some very good tracks but also a lot that just felt like interludes.

A true 2.5. Completely faded into the background and totally unremarkable. But at least it didn't actively annoy me?

Quite bland, but decent background music.

Nice chill album. Good guitars and bass lines.

Okay, again, not bad not great Such an iconic band but not their best offering. Vocals and base are always incredible with them Spoopy Halloween vibes from it at times?

Few good songs but nothing really stood out for me

I'm playing catch up and have to review a few albums I missed, so I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to play a record that would require pondering on lyrics. Fortunately, this album had barely any singing. But in spite of that and the tones of emptiness, these tracks didn't lack depth. I like The Cure, generally speaking, but I'd never even heard of this record. It's not a sophomore slump following a poppier Three Imaginary Boys. And while there weren't many tracks that stood out, the consistent tone of the album shows a band that was mature enough to take a sound that was less commercial and dig into it. Three Imaginary Boys has great tracks- punkier tunes like Object and So What. But these tracks- the punchy electric drum kit, the bass that drives the melody from the mid and higher tones like on Play for Today, they let you know exactly where the Cure was going, and when you look at the year 1980 im a lot of ways they were on the frontier of that sound. Secrets sounds like the blueprint for later "Lovesong". In Your House, my God it sounds like what every other 80s band was trying to do literally years later. And yes, Joy Division had been around, I'm not trying to take anything from them, but this was still (obviously) pre-New Order and way before The Smiths. So I can appreciate it. It was an easy album to turn on and just go for a walk and think.

Good album and like some of the reviews said it sounds like a stepping stone to even better albums to come. I was enjoying more of the fast paced and built up songs over the ambient tracks but I think that might be due to setting. It’s almost summer so listening to ambient goth rock is not exactly what I’m looking for but this was still a really good album and I’d probably enjoy it more around Halloween. The four track run to close the album is what made this one for me. Sounds like classic Cure with a nice mix of pop and goth. It’s a Spring 3 and a Fall 4 so sadly I’m rating it in Spring 👍: forest, m, at night

Overall enjoyable album. I have become more of a The Cure fan in the past 6 months. This project seems a little barebones, makes sense though, given it was the turning point for what their overall sound would become. Super interesting how the bandmates were divided on the direction.

This is fine but just felt like it they could’ve done more. Maybe that’s that’s the appeal, but not for me. There were a some really cool instrumentals that mostly went nowhere and vocals that were either nonexistent or lackluster. It’s not bad background music but that’s all it is for the most part. Some of these dragged a bit. Low-mid 3 Best: play for today, forest, seventeen seconds MMM: AND WAIT☝🏼AND WAIT ☝🏼AND WAIT ☝🏼FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN

It's OK I guess but it's all the same song, they chose 1 beat and stuck with it. Already had 2 Cure albums but no Dylan or Stones yet hmmm

Interestingly sparse Cure album. Obv contains the full length classic A Forest. Otherwise there are some Eno type noodlings which perhaps leaves you a short changed on 35 min album.

Love the cure but I want to hear more vocals

Some smoother listening than the past few days. I hadn't listened to the Cure before, but this is some great brit rock.

The Cure being The Cure! I enjoyed it, but then I like them so I’m bias to it. Good starter point for anyone looking to get into them, although Disintegration is much, much better. Solid album though, I’ll probably blitz their back catalogue on a purchase spree at some point too!

Goth rock album van de Britse band The Cure. Heeft de kenmerkende The Cure new wave sound en klinkt wel verfijnder dan eerdere nummers als "Boys Don't Cry", maar is niet het beste werk van de band. leukste nummer: M Het budget voor het album was zo klein dat het nummer "The Final Sound" abrupt eindigt omdat simpelweg de tape op was.

Неплохо

Tre stjerner pga. A Forest

Not my deal, not terrible.

I liked how this album flowed and all felt like it was on the same theme yet all the songs sounded different enough.

-gotta say, LOVE an intro song. definitely helps u get into the vibes of an album -definitely a different sound from what i’ve listened to so far -this album isn’t BAD. its just not exactly out there enough for me -i do enjoy the cure, and even though this album isn’t full of big hits like their other albums, i still enjoyed! -favorites: at night -i definitely think this cure album specifically is moodier and darker

Segundo disco de The Cure, medio monótono, pero se deja escuchar. Tiene 'A Forest' que es algo para nada menor.

I love The Cure's bass lines. It's almost percussive, and I just love it. This album gave me weird vibes, but in a good eerie way. I don't know why, but I really want to be like... A "Cure fan." I just haven't broken into that level. Yet! TM

Had to listen to this one again as I couldn't quite remember what I thought. Mean, moody and atmospheric but, it felt like it never quite arrived at where it was heading. I feel like this band or album has been super influencial as I can hear other artists who came after in the music playing here, but no particular song stuck around or got it's claws in me. Wouldn't mind another album from these guys so I can made a better informed opinion on them.

I didn’t like this album as much as Disintegration. I didn’t mind it but it didn’t really do much for me.

Play for today er afar gott, en ég er síður hrifinn af A forrest. Restin er töff flangerað gítar melankólíupopp. Frekar næs, ef maður er hrifinn af svoleiðis. Ég er svona lala hrifinn af svoleiðis.

Love how ominous and driving this is in parts, the guitars sort of pull you along deeper into the woods. other than those parts sort of standard fare, still good but not fantastic. Best tracks: play for today, secrets, a forest

Early The Cure isn't my thing

Holy crap, I was expecting more...

saddd music

i don't know what i expected tbh but i was just kinda bored

Probably better if you could hear the lyrics, but the confidence of this band is infectious

Not really my thing but OK, a bit drab (I know that's the point but...) All a bit samey

It’s like a 2.75, round up to 3

A bit too… ethereal and gloomy for me. But I guess that’s The Cure. I feel like I prefer their later 80s/early 90s stuff. But hearing them at the formation of their sound is cool. All I know is I immediately put on Friday I’m in Love to cleanse the palette.

I wanted to like it more. I should get around to listening to the Cure more but I think they may stay as more of a "Greatest hits" band for me.

It's a high 3 for sure, but just lacked that one or two excellent tracks to bump it to 4

Meh.

Punk. New age.

Ok as a late night listen but I can’t see me listening again

The curing was in its early stages on this album. Much better was to come. Apart from the singles which work as stand alone tracks this really is just a soundtrack to a film that didn't get commissioned.

Ondanks dat het muzikaal enigszins eentonig is, raakt het wel een snaar. Ik vind de typische jaren 80 vocals alleen totaal niks. Je merkt wel dat dit redelijk invloedrijk geweest is, aangezien dit in 1980 uitkwam en al zo'n ongelooflijke jaren 80 sound heeft. Maarja, daar ben ik dus niet zo'n fan van. Toch vanwege de muzikaliteit nog wel 3 sterren.

I like a lot of the Cure albums that come after this one, but this didn't really do much for me. Maybe I will need to give it a few more listens to re-asses but this is currently sitting around a 3-3.5.

The album where the Cure became the Cure.

Relatively short album. Lyrics are just kinda meh. I didn't hate it and didn't skip any songs. It is better than a 2, not really a 3. I will round up.

Having gotten "Pornography" earlier in the list (and absolutely loving it), I can sense a spark here, but it's not fully there yet. There's some atmosphere, the songwriting is mostly there, it just needs a little more time. It's a fine record, just not as good as what would come later. Favorite tracks: "A Forest", "Play For Today", "In Your House"

This is the third album from The Cure that I've pulled on this list, and I am guessing that 3 is probably too many. This is the one I liked the most though. It's the shortest one by far!

Best Cure album I've had so far, but still don't find myself all that moved by it. Favorite track: Play for Today

I really like The Cure. But this record, while I am sure it was ground breaking at the time, doesn't do anything for me in 2023. It's boring and doesn't really go anywhere.

Pretty good, I’ll revisit this

I do like the cure. Not so many stand out ones here for me though...

3.5

Enjoyed it, it didn't blow me away but I will defo listen to more of The Cure

Not their most catchy tunes. I reckon if I was listening to it whilst laying in the bath it'd get a higher score. I wasn't laying in the bath though.

Fine for a slow day with your cock out on the sofa and a glass of red. Not great for much else, disgustingly mediocre.

Sounded alright but didn’t have enough time to dive deep

Dark and dance-y. But somehow playful. A southern Joy Division. Gary Newman must have been shitting himself after hearing this. As a whole the album flows well. A good progression from the sound of their last album. Unfortunately doesn’t have enough stand out tracks to be amazing. 3/5 Sot Play For Today A Forest

A couple of higlights (Play for Today, A Forest of course, ..) and otherwise not much is happening here.

Solid

Pretty good, but never truly catchy

2/10, 20%

Helt schwag

Me gustan los discos más líricos pero me gusto

Whoa, not sure I knew about this album? I don't feel it often gets mentioned in discussions about The Cure's discography. I dug it. Felt less obviously introspective and plodding than other Cure stuff I've listened to. Standouts: Play for Today, In Your House, A Forest

Was a bit surprised this was on the list at first. Did sound entirely whay I was familiar with at first, bar the big hitters. Seemed to be a bit slow and not really going anywhere, but the second half picked right up and after a second listen I ended up liking it. Will definitely give it a few more goes

This is a better album than Disintegration, though without any big tunes. Everything was pleasantly listenable, pleasantly forgettable.

Very emo.

Interesting album, but a little too meandering and moody for me to rush to listen again. Prefer their slightly later stuff.

I've listened to a lot of The Cure's singles throughout the years, but this was my first time listening to a whole album of theirs. I love what they did instrumentally; it reminds me a lot about what I like about Echo & The Bunnymen. The Cure do an exceptional job of establishing a mood, even without lyrics. I love how their bass lines make everything so big, yet so empty. Lyrically though, this album just wasn't doing it for me. I wish I could pinpoint why that is, but I can't. I guess that explains why "Three" was one of my favorite tracks on the album. By the way, if you like The Cure, Robert Smith recently appeared on the song "How Not to Drown" with Chvrches, and that song is great. Also, check out the first two albums from White Lies (does anyone even read my reviews, or am I just making recommendations into the void?)

I dig it! Good listening, chill listening while still sonically pleasing

What I expected from The Cure. It was hard to hear the lyrics (not sure if that was a Spotify issue)

Enjoy the minimalism but the songwriting chops feel like they don’t come til later

Average. Enjoyably smooth, soft, not much lyrically.

Seventeen seconds more like eighteen seconds

Instrumental opener, seems to be a theme among some of these albums. Synth pop/alternative at its finest. Tinges of punk as well. Such delicate vocals by the singer that do a great job of reeling in the listener to the story. Song structures atypical of 80s radio pop. Familiar guitar tones. No musicians stand out as a virtuoso, this album is more about mood than playing out individually. Somber, melancholy. Mix is amateurish, vocals very low on some tunes.

Has a psychedelic vibe, pretty good. 3.5

I made up my mind. I like the Cure. Though there are no real bangers on this one. 3

This was an interesting album. It felt a lot more experimental for the Cure, like they were trying something different. I am not that steeped into their music, so this sounded a lot different than what I expected. They were obviously going from the sound they had on their first album to the progression to what they would become, so a lot of the songs seemed more transitional. Because of that transitional feel, that evolution, none of the songs stood out to me as THE song. The song that made me say "oh, wow I want to come back to this." It just didn't stand out. So it was interesting, but not good enough.

And this is where goth and kill myself rock really got its start. Some nice simplicity to the whole album, but that's also a knock against it. Too minimalist at times, like give me more than a drum track, some simple chords and keyboard synth. The opener A Reflection sums it up nice - interesting instrument-only track, but too bland? It's not as good as some of their later albums but nice to see where the pioneering work started. I don't mind it, I might even like it, but I can't give it a 4. Maybe I would if there were a few more songs that really grabbed my attention like Play for Today or A Forest.

I really like the Cure, so I wanted to like this album more but even on a second listen it seems like that they weren’t quite there yet. You can see the potential of what’s to come here on a few of the songs. The standout track is “A Forest” which also happened to be the single from the album. “Secrets” was good also but the rest of the album seems to fit into you had to be there at the right age to for this to hook you in category although modern goth fans might still get into today.

Another one for the 'appreciate more than enjoy' column

The Cure famously have two distinct sounds. A poppy, upbeat side that has produced numerous jangly radio hits, and a dark, atmospheric side that takes is harder work. I didn't think the two crossed over, but this album sits halfway between each, and is very good. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: A Forest Date listened: 12/12/22

Nosabriaqueaportaralareview

this was ok good easy listening while i'm doing my work

Really great vibe, loved the guitar work, some songs did sound like they could have been expanded upon, but I guess it was meant to be more atmospheric which is cool aswell Favourite songs Play for today In your house A forest Seventeen seconds 7.5/10

I was a fan of The Cure from Head On The Door through Wish. My interests moved on to other things in the early 90s and The Cure didn't really fit in anymore (Friday I'm In Love killed The Cure). But I never explored their older work like Seventeen Seconds either. This should be interesting. If it weren't for Robert Smith's voice, I might not be sure I was hearing the Cure. This is more spacious and subdued. I can still appreciate that though. I love the sound, but it lacks the depth that I remember hearing in the late 80s Cure albums, especially Disintegration. The Cure's weird slow decent into pop music in the 90's was not a fun time. Wish was the last for me. It's hard to have to let go of a band you loved once. I haven't looked back at the Cure since then, but this was a good trip back... It was like reminiscing about the old days of listening to this band by looking through an old photo album. It sounds familiar, nostalgic but new. The sound has faded through time. The songs peek through the glossy glare of the plastic protector. Nothing in particular stands out to me on a first listen, is really a whole album experience to me. I will definitely come back to let this grow on me though. This was a fun night. Hard to believe that they had such a mature sound on their second album. Thanks for the recommendation! PS: I followed this up with The Head on the Door... Fuck, I forgot how good that album is. So... put into perspective, I just have to lower my original intended rating for Seventeen Seconds (4 to 3), but I am still impressed by the album on it's own, but by 'Cure' standards it's average, but very interesting.

bien pero no me cambió la vida. 7/10

whats not to like

Pretty good

interesting album. Instrumental heavy. liked the music.

damn all the parts where he wasn't singing were pretty good!

What a great band, and A Forest and Play for Today are still fantastic, stand out songs that make me sit up and listen whenever they are played, but this is merely the herald of things to come, not the finished article. It's patchy, and some of it very clearly reflects how cheaply and quickly it was made. I'd love to give this more, but I can't.

It sounded like I thought that an album from album The Cure would. Fine, whatever. Not totally my thing, but not totally bad either.

No real surprises. This is what I think The Cure sounds like. Tolerable but not my fave.

This list is not going to let me ignore The Cure, this being the third album in a year. It was ok for me. I get the description of “gloomscapes” for this music. A lot of it did have a horror movie soundtrack feel - in particular the very short “The Final Sound” which I liked. I also liked the upbeat but still dark “The Forest”. Being pressed to listen to The Cure hasn’t yet made me a fan, but I do appreciate them more than I did before this project.

Have not heard anything off of this album before. I feel like I need more time with this one. But after 2 listens, it’s good, not great. It pains me to say that about the Cure. Their stuff I know I absolutely love. Play for Today is fantastic. A Forest stands out too. The rest…not bad by any means, but I think I’m looking for something more energetic.

Good shit, so many more better cure albums tho imo. Maybe only like 3 songs I really dug which, given the length of the record, is like a third of the album. Granted nothing I really hated here, but felt like filler was put in here to crank out a couple really good songs.

'A Forest' is an absolute classic. The album overall isn't bad, but not great either. 3/5

Enjoyable if not standout.

Yea ok I suppose

I definitely prefer this to the Cure’s later album Pornography. A good mix of lyrical and instrumental songs, more and less familiar/conventional. Some well-created atmospherics with discords and effects. I’d happily listen to it again if someone played it for me, but would I reach for it? No. So 3.5 stars from me.

Like I said the last time, I always thought The Cure were a great singles band but I never paid any attention to their albums. So, except for The Forest, which I always loved, I was not familiar with this album. Having given it a listen, I can honestly say I’ll never listen to it again, but it’s not without merit.

uptempo joy division instrumentals with weird vocals in the back of your head. moody in a way that almost feels ironic

if i were to describe this album in one word, i would choose "immersive". what the cure excel at here is creating a uniform sound and feeling throughout the album. i found myself falling into the album as a result. that isn't an easy sensation to capture. this album screams moody teenager music--but in a positive way. it's got a modern feel despite being from 1980. the bass drove multiple songs with its heavy, crisp presence, almost overpowering.

It is an incredibly dark, rainy, and gloomy day in late October as I write this review, so this album seemed all too appropriate today. Arriving in 1980, this album very clearly was pioneering goth rock, during a time when goth rock was emerging from post-punk sounds and before goth rock was a fully formed concept; you can hear the earliness of the genre in this album, as if it's still not fully baked yet. Nonetheless, the music has the core of everything you expect out of goth music: it's moody, dark, ambient, eerie and morose. It's obvious that The Cure would grow to be even more goth from here by using this album as a blueprint, as would other bands in this genre. From a perspective of The Cure, I was kind of surprised how minimal the vocals were on this album, which again, allowed for the album to shine as somewhat of a soundscape blueprint for the goth rock genre.

Just quite a bit boring. Nice atmosphere but not much else

20th October 2022 Listened throughout the day while not working from home. Burgers and LOTR show in the evening. Cure at their grungy, shoegazing phase before the explosion and the expansion. 3.5 if I could.

'The Forest' is one of my fave The Cure songs. The rest of album is not bad.

Other than a few cool guitar sounds, this is one of the most boring albums on the list. Same tempos, weak drumming, poor vocals, not a single catchy hook.

Weird, weirder, The Cure. Never really know what to expect but it's always odd. Half the album is just some ambience. Not a fan, will never be one, but this was the definition of indifferent

Pretty good. Atmospheric.

Good early stuff.

Je ne m’attendais pas à aussi expérimental. On est loin de Friday I’m in love. Ça ne rend pas ça complètement intéressant pour autant, mais j’entend une part de ce qu’est l’influence de ce band sur le rock indé des dernières années.

I like the Cure, just not too many standouts on this album.

This is The Cure's ACTUAL debut album. The first one didn't count, obviously, because it didn't sound like a Cure album. It's incredible how early The Cure was able to find their sound. It's tonally rich, soaked in a clean chorus and tight drums that tied everything up. It's very concise without feeling dry or bland. The songwriting is noticeably weaker compared to future Cure releases, leaving a lot to be desired in Seventeen Seconds. Songs mostly passed me by with little impression. I love the sounds, but can't wrap my head around what I had just listened to. Which is a shame because I think highly of The Cure. While this may be a landmark goth rock album (one of the founding albums for the genre alongside In the Flat Field and Kaleidoscope), I can't bring myself to love it.

Slow burning moody album, good for a rainy day drive.

Sadge

3/5

Rock típico de The Cure. Ni fu ni fa.

Pop tranquilo y elegante de un grupo mítico. Aun así, le falta chispa

Kulay.

It kinda grooves. I like it for the sound and the vibes but didn’t listen to any lyrics closely.

I grew up listening to The Cure but this album isn't my cup of tea.

Major stalker vampire vibes

Created a consistent creepy vibe

3 I’ve never listened to The Cure but being an elder emo I’m well aware of their impact on rock music culture. With that said I was pretty disappointed with this. It has a likely purposeful hollow and empty production. It reminded me a lot of Joy Division but without the emotion and dread that comes along with listening to the laments of a doomed frontman. The bass here was cool and very much the star of the show it seems but even still I had a hard time distinguishing one song from the next. It wasn’t until the last half of the album that I started to vibe with it. Maybe it’s me and because of that I feel compelled to listen again. Favorites: Three, A Forest, M, At Night

Some great instrumentals very angry

Solid!

Good, but no amazing stand outs.

solid sound, didn't completely resonate with it.

Other worldly sounds with a cool vibe typical of their style

Is "Seventeen Seconds" the amount of vocals on this album? It was sparse. And I'm torn on how I feel about that. Because on the one hand, Robert Smith's vocals are what I like least about The Cure. But on the other hand, I liked the atmosphere and vibe created here. Those seem like parts of the same hand, so on the third hand, why in the world was I left wanting more Robert Smith?? I've never felt that way before. And I can't explain the paradox of liking the sparse ephemeral atmosphere of "Seventeen Seconds" and the simultaneous desire for more vocals. I'm at a loss.

I very much am jealous of, and digging, the guitar and bass setups on this album. Their combined sound, for the most part, is great. Whatever instruments, effects, amplifiers, and production used are spot on 42 years later. They nailed this aspect. Three ends somewhat suddenly and weirdly. Then The Final Sound ends suddenly. I don’t know what’s going on, but then it leads into The Forest, which has that sound I like so much. Checks Wikipedia…OK they were on a low budget and literally ran out of tape 53 seconds in to The Final Sound. But why not just leave the unfinished track off the album. Pick it up on a future album. I don’t get it. I don’t like Robert Smith’s voice much, but what I do find very interesting is that the title track is last. Does that exist on any other album? Probably, but I bet it’s rare.

A nice listen, but not truely standout to me. "Seventeen Seconds" was my favourite track, but found the rest kind of melded together for me.

Dark, edgy, and kind of creepy. This is what the cure sounds like (6/10) FT: Play for Today, A Forest

On this album, The Cure seem to have put more emphasis on mood than songwriting. I dig the sound and energy - pained vocals over melancholy, sometimes spooky music. A few tracks even sound like a horror movie score. There aren't a ton of songs on here when you take into consideration the instrumentals and transitional tracks. But the album is focused and works well as a whole. Highlights: “In Your House,” “A Forest”

My dad loves New Wave and particularly loves The Cure, so an album where I only know one song ahead of time is surprising to me. It is a good album, certainly not their best work but you can tell it is the foundation for a lot of New Wave and their later work.

Not my favorite Cure album, although it's still pretty good. I'm sure it'll grow on me. I really liked the second half of it.

3.5/5

Gotisk rock, reverb, melankolsk

Some really, really great vibes on this one

Didn't know exactly what I was expecting, but it was better than I expected, I actually didn't mind it. Stark, ambient at times, it's not exactly "hit-worthy" music, but there is some substance to it. Okay, but not essential by any means.

Really good first listen. 3/5

A decent album. Too melancholic for me. I guess this is why I never really listened to The Cure before.

Quelques bons moments mais déçu dans l'ensemble.

not mon préféré

Ok, but not as good as the other Cure album I listened to.

This is very impressive! I love the production although I think the record drags a bit

Bom.

sounds like the cure, but in miniature

I appreciate The Cure, but unfortunately the 80s-ness detracts it for me. I can get into their dark synth energy but it just doesn't go quite far enough for me to really get into it.

Could see the origin of the bands sound through this

Besoin de quelques écoutes supplémentaires avant de me faire une idée définitive. Pas mauvais mais n’accroche pas à la première écoute.

Got more into it after a few listens. The Forest is a tune. Like the mood of the overall album, but probably not one I would come back and listen to that regularly. 3/5

Just because it's a vehicle for 'A Forest' it's worth the 3 stars. But the rest of the album is ok at best. And I love the Cure.

Okay, background music

I listened to his whilst tidying my room and it was lovelyy to let it wash over me while I did that. If I went to see the cure though and they just played songs from this album I would be disappointed, nothing on here that's quite like Friday I'm in Love.

I have to say I preferred the previous Cure album more than this one (Disintegration), but it was still enjoyable. More downbeat I guess. Perhaps I need to listen again I am aware there's classics on here

3.5 - classic broody Cure vibes. Love the heavy bass and the soundscape that makes me feel like I’m in the middle of my own movie montage. “A Forest” was a classic - loved the bass licks in that one.

I love the cure ... I really do! But there's only two songs on here I would revisit.

Not bad, grew a little appreciation for the group, still not my thing

Not as fun funky fresh as other cure stuff

"It's not a case of telling the truth Some lines just fit the situation You call me a liar, you would anyway" (Play for today) "The wish never came true And the girl Starts to sing" (Seventeen seconds) we! are! back! No es mi disco preferido de The Cure, pero aún así es un disco muy redondito.

If you’re looking for an album by The Cure, this is one

The problem with this list is there is no context as to why a particular album is on here. I was looking forward to the Cure but there were none of the hits I knew.

It was pure Cure which I enjoyed 3*

Moody and atmospheric but unlikely to choose to listen on any given day.

I know it’s blasphemous to be not LOVE The Cure. I simply don’t love them. But I did like this. It actually really made me want to dance in my office at work. I especially wanted to do a slightly unhip two bop to it. I’m not sure about the one angry instrumental interlude. That shit unsettled me, but I would listen to it on repeat likely. The more I think about it, the more I like it. I’m still holding firm on 3 ⭐️….for now 🤔

Not their best album, but it has some great songs on it. Seems to be half way between new wave Cure and goth Cure so it's an interesting transitional record, but not essential.

Might give this another shot.

Very mellow Cure here

Solid

It was mostly instrumental?? But it was alright. I’d have it on as background music

3 1/2

pretty forgettable and grating at times, but not completely unenjoyable. 5/10

5/10. Kinda boring

Sounds good but it’s pretty ambient. 6/10

Some highlights. Chill vibes.

darker than some of their other stuff, liked it better

Rock típico de The Cure. Ni fu ni fa.

I like it... But with the production, a lot of this washes into itself. I like the Cure a lot, but don't love them - I think because outside of the absolute classics, a lot of their songs sound like Cure songs, and are pretty interchangeable. I feel like I'd be obsessed had I been a teenager at the time, and listened and relistened. It's atmospheric, it's got A Forest and some other classic stuff on there. It certainly isn't bad. It's just all drifting by quite pleasantly. This is by no means a bad album. However, it's very cohesive sound is as much of a burden as a boon, as it failed to hold my attention for long stretches.

Mostly just seemed like background music, none of it really stood out to me. But also it was not bad to listen to either. 0RS

A few good tracks but very basic production makes it sound like jamming in a mates bedroom

bit dour but guess that's to be expected - 3 stars just for the forest alone though

A great band who I have not listened much to beyond the hits, an album that washes over you, melancholic but not sad, I will listen to more.

3/5 goodish, but...

Very atmospheric and interesting. Just nowhere near as good as some of their later albums, or indeed the Banshees stuff he was apeing.

I can see why Trent Reznor did The Cure’s hall of fame induction - half of these instrumental tracks could be on The Fragile or Ghosts. The rest were a bit 80s for me.

The great tracks secedes nonevents, which are in too great numbers, though the album as a whole has a cool vibe. Drum track isn’t grating despite being repetitive

More art-rock than I expected. Liked it.

I do like The Cure and this early album isn't too gloomy, but it isn't a classic Cure LP. However, it has one of their finest songs in A Forest so 3 out of 5.

I wasn't a huge fan of this album but I can see the merits behind it (not of it deserving to be on this list, just as an album). Being one of their earlier albums, the Cure seems to still be finding their style but it is readily apparent that driving at night was a theme. This entire album I could play during a night drive and it would fit the mood perfectly. With very little lyrics and some very short songs, this felt like a quick preview of what was the come in their future (better) albums.

Yes, so muss das klingen. Klang ist hier generell irre gut, satt, klar und aufm Punkt dort, wo sich die Fledermaus festkrallt: ganz oben! „Secrets“ klingt wie etwas, zu dem ich mich gerne für ne Weile unglücklich verliebt denken würde, wenn das denn ginge. Bitte. Es klingt sonst gern Cure-generisch, aber dann kommt „A Forrest“ (thx Malo). Dennoch weit weg alles von Kurzweiligkeit 2.9

Look, it's nice, and I enjoyed listening to this album, but: is it special? No.

Überraschenderweise überhaupt nicht so unerträglich, wie ich es befürchtet hatte, obwohl Smith irgendwie immer nach 'Boys Don‘t Cry' klingt, aber hier singt er erfreulich wenig. Kompositorisch ebenfalls wesentlich interessanter als erwartet.

Good, but not great.

Fine, nothing exciting.

It's Gloomy Post-punk. And it's a good version of that honestly. Love the Album art work also.

i really liked the spooky aspect of this album. it’s too good to be a 3 but i feel like not quite a 4, so i say 7/10 or 7.5/10!

Gosh, really surprisingly not my style at all. No momentum, nor enough emotional range. Just ennui. But the production is really pretty. Admirable and easy to appreciate despite not being my style.

It was aight, but the first half kinda had me falling asleep 🤷🏻‍♂️

Pretty alright sound, not a lot of stuff that I identified with.

Very chill, I can see how it inspires Nirvana later on with some of the bass lines or acoustic pieces

Some of the songs made me want to kill myself but in a good way. The whole album just gives me very much sitting in a bath fully clothed vibes, idk if you know what I mean?????? I don't think it's their best album either but I did have fun listening hehe had a bit of a cute cry vibe going on (don't ask I'm just a sad bitch)

Not what I was expecting. Enjoyed it.

Pretty decent, I liked it better than the last cure album that came up

The forrest is a great track

Disco contemplativo (demasiado) y ambiental, con tonos góticos. Ideal para días tristes. No ha sido de todo mi agrado, pero no es un mal álbum.

A little too sad-boy for me, but the guitar tone is iconic.

The Cure songs I enjoy tend to be a little more upbeat, which is unfortunate because this album is not. It's still really good, I just found myself getting a little bored by it as it went on Saved: Play For Today, A Forest

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Play for Today, A Forest, M, At Night, Seventeen Seconds Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Really dark soundscapes. I personally would've liked a couple more hooks (especially since I know the Cure is capable of it), but that's clearly not what this album is shooting for. In terms of quality this is at least a 4, but it's not really for me. Does the job of creating a foreboding and uneasy atmosphere though, so I'll give it a 3.

Sweet but short, good for passive listening for me, not for active.

The majority of this album has aged well.  Wiki tells that this LP featured a new bass player; his melodic bass lines are a feature. Talk about hitting the ground running. 

Really liked the instrumental, surfer rock crosssed with depressinf british tones

.

nice!

Alternatief maar ik vind het niet echt bijzonder

Whilst I knew and loved their albums; "Head on the door", "Disintegration" and "Pornography", I don't think I've ever listened to this. Its a lot more indie than the aforementioned works. you can kinda tell they are heading for greatness ("a forest is sensational"), but in this they haven't quite arrived yet. 3/5

Not my usual genre of music and I've never been into The Cure but I quite enjoyed this

No i wjechalo the cure ktore juz przepowiadalem jak byl cover ich traka na dinozaurowym albumie, jako osoba bedaca ignorantem co do brytyjskiego grania, punkowego alternatywnego jest mile zaskoczony, bo nie wiem czemu jakos cure kojarzylo mi sie z cooperowym stylem muzykowania, a tutaj calkiem co innego, utwory tak minimalistyczne, ze jak uslyszalem otwierajacy a reflection, to musialem sprawdzic czy dobry album puscilem, bo granie nutka po nutce, nie jest to jedyny trak ktory zbudowany jest na tej zasadzie, bo takie przerywniki pojawiaja sie miedzy bardziej konwencjonalnymi kompozycjami, wiecv jak juz jest granie gdzie slychac gitarke, basik, jeszcze jakies talerzowanie, to lirycznie sa one oszczedne, zeby jednak nacieszyc ucho tym jak graja instrumenty, sam wokal tez dosc dobrze blenduje sie z basikiem ktory tutaj jest jak dla mnie instrumentem przewodnim plyty, jak na traku the forest, ktory poza tym basidlem hajlajtuje tez mastering jesli chodzi o wokalowanie i efekty, powiedzialbym ze lesne, bo ten wokal jest jakby zatracany, nie na zasadzie echa, ale wycieszenia stopniwego, wiec lesny trak ktory swietnie tworzy klimat leci na plejke, a dolaczy do niego at night, ktory znowu pokazuje na co znac klawiszowca bandy czyli Hartleya, bo chyba jakies synthowe klawiszory musialy tam byc grane, tak samo jak plyta byla otwarta, zostala zakonczona, choc troche dluzszym kawalkiem, bo 4 minuty instrumentala ktory znowu gitarkowo sie dla mnie wybija, a gitarke gral tutaj wokalista czyli mr Smith, ktora brzmi lepiej niz na benszowym projekcie na ktorym go juz slyszalem, calosc trwa tylko 35 minut, ale sa one wypelnione muzyka ktora robi sens, to znaczy ze nie ma filerowych trakow, tylko jeden otwiera kolejny, trzeba bedzie obadac reszte curow, gdy najdzie potrzeba na gloomerowe viby, bo nie jest to jeszcze doomowanie jak u smithow, ale jednak w tamta strone sie pochyla

Too repetitive, but with great personality

Although from 1980 (OMG 40 yrs old!) this holds up pretty well against other albums eg Pulp's Hardcore which I couldn't get thru. This album has the hallmark early goth/new wave sound that was prevalent in the day and they did it better than anyone else. Not their best but a sign of even greater things to come

Took me back to the ‘craft

The cure provides good background music, but I wasn't blown away by this album.

Un bon album dans un style que je ne connais pas beaucoup. Genre de tounes qu’on reconnait a la rado de temps en temps. 3.5

super aber auch ned so super - 3

I liked this album, especially the song 'M'. I could hear how they influenced a lot of other future bands and artists - specifically Nirvana and Kanye West came to mind

Better than I anticipated. I don’t dislike the Cure but was never that into them either.

I liked it. good songs. For me its a great album as background noise when doing art

Very mellow listening, it didn’t stand out as brilliant but I enjoyed having it on.

I'm fond of the Cure, although not to the extent of having ever purchased an album. This was fine, lovely in places, but maybe needed a little more variation in tone.

Glacial and sparse, which is nice. The production feels a little forced though. I struggled at first but grew into the album and quite enjoyed it.

Nope

The Forest is a great track, but not a huge fan of The Cure in general. Listenable though.

I liked it but don't quite get why it's on the list

Pretty cool album. No stand out songs, but all of them have a cool outrun type of vibe. Found out The Cure is pretty swaggy

okay okay

It was ok. I can see the influence it's had, but it's just mood music to me.

2.5-3. Not bad, just not for me

TOO new age, had a couple stand out tracks

Few good songs, but mostly generic sooner music

Better than I expected still kind of dark.

If I was a moody teenager, I'd probably like this.

Better and less GOTH than expected.

Not as good as disintegration. But still The Cure.

Pretty decent. A Forest is obviously an absolute banger.

I like The Cure but didn't catch any specific song on this album except 2-3 that I know from earlier. Nice album but not the one I would recommend.

6/17 Very goth, very subdued and hypnotic music. Can sometimes bore but also sometimes stumbles into interesting melodies. Standout Tracks: A Reflection, In Your House, A Forest, M

underwhelming

Ich mochte das Album, allerdings fande ich war es mehr wie so background noise, und nicht etwas was man hört wenn man mitsingen möchte. die Instrumentals waren immer gut obwohl ich sie am anfang etwas spooky fand.

Nondescript and lacking memorability, could tell they really were unsure of their sound at this point

In the main, this feels like atmospheric background music. ‘A Forest’ is a clear standout in that it is the only track that made me actually bother to check the title.

I should just copy and paste the review of the last album by The Cure…

Of all the artists I thought I'd probably like before listening to a full album, and it turning out I actually think they're disappointingly boring, The Cure are pretty high up the list. Disappointingly boring. But not totally shit. 2/5

This was ok. Nothing really hit for me. It sounded like cure but not what I think of with the cure if that makes sense. Over incredibly fast.

Grumpy goths

I see the bridge between "Three Imaginary Boys" and where they went after this. That said I think this is weaker than what came before and after.

It was not horrible. The guitar work was better than the vocals

Not a huge Cure guy unfortunately.

Not quite feeling this album. I see the appeal but it's just too slow for me

I wasn't looking forward to the Cure albums that I knew were going to be on here. I guess I have a bias about Robert Smith being a whiny bitch. I guess I will have to listen and see if that is confirmed. Play for Today - Lots of space. I mean, this is goth, right? Moody bedroom music to slit your wrists to. Actually, I don't find them that dark but rather feels like a big suckfest of early adult feelings. This is odd as I remember a lot of that disappearing and really feel for kids today because this is as close to the 80s as it has ever been. Hearing this after the political tunes of Julian Cope, I get why this stuff emerged. I can get into this vibe but I am so not interested in the whole album. I am glad it is only 35 minutes. I want so bad to give a 2 already but I will try and remove my bias. The Cure had a decent impact on music. Now, was it this album? I am surprised at the amount of piano on this one. And I mean, thank goodness for the echoes. I guess this was good once. Okay, I like M. That must mean something. I made it through. I am sure that I will like at least one of their albums. I am sure that one more will make it on the list. This will be getting a 2 from me. I'm sure others of his are better. I like Siouxsie and the Banshees but just can't behind this.

A whole sound. I'm not sure if I'm totally into that sound. At times it feels a little bit post rock and I appreciate that. At times I guess it's almost a little trace or deep house-like. A lot of the time though it skirts a little too close to a thin punk sound for me, unfortunately without any cool attitude. The drums in particular just feel kind of lofi to me in a way that takes me out of it. I know they're a great band really, so I'm sure I'm wrong about this one, but I couldn't get into it at all today

I prefer Robert Smith when he's a bit more cheery. 2*

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, no termina de convencerme. El sonido está bien, tiene sus momentos

Some okay basslines, but there’s nothing notable here lyrically

Standouts A Forest

Still not a Cure fan. This did nothing for me.

i'm pretty sure goth rock doesn't have to be this boring

bomzinho, mas terei que escutar dnv pra ter opinião mais concreta

Not a big fan

I was kinda disappointed because it doesn't have any of their bangers on there

I’m sorry this is just way too repetitive. Both within songs (Three feels like it goes on forever) and across songs. Also, Robert Smith has a gorgeous voice so it feels like a waste that this album is mostly instrumental. I appreciate the consistency in mood, but musically I was very bored.

As an enjoyer of later era The Cure, in that I prefer their sound in Disintegration than the one they had previously in their Pornography era, this album falls a bit short to my taste. 7/10 [DROP]

2 stars komplett buns da gleicher sound aber irgendwie ganz cool

Estuvo bien

In one ear. Out the other.

enjoyed this, i like the cures sound 3.5

Typical dreary Cure album.

Some songs sound like Robert Smith whispering over the scariest part of a video game, but some songs are kinda catchy 80s pop. The former is a 1, the latter is a 3 so I’ll land on a 2.

I can only listen to so many songs about being sad that you’re not in a relationship, trapped in a sad relationship, or orbiting some sad girlfriend situation before my patience runs out. Much of Seventeen Seconds falls into that trap for me. The writing is often banal, and the instrumental interludes rarely add enough atmosphere or tension to justify their presence. I also have very little tolerance for melancholic/romantic music in general, which is why most of The Cure tends to fall outside what I enjoy (unless the music rises to such a level that it overrides my aversions). That’s exactly what happens with A Forest. The song feels clinical, strangely poetic, and cold in the way only England in the summertime can feel. It’s easily my favorite Cure track because it strips away the sentimental haze and replaces it with something eerie, detached, and genuinely unsettling. More importantly, it points toward the band they would later become on Pornography, which remains my favorite album of theirs precisely because of how bleak and intensely unemotional it is.