Seventeen Seconds

Great Songs: Play for Today Good Songs: A Reflection, Secrets, A Forest, M, At Night Mid Songs: In Your House, Three, The Final Sound, Seventeen Seconds Bad Songs:

sad and somber but alright

Like the cure, not this album so much

i can't say this sort of hyper-atmospheric airy tone is very much my thing, but i didn't dislike having this album play in the background of my thoughts. while i do think the songs sounded a little monotonous, i get that was sort of the intention with this record so i honestly can't complain.

So desperately moody. I kinda like it

you don't need big production to create something powerful and lasting

Really good at setting a vibe and sticking to it. I definitely didn’t hate the music. But I don’t really feel like they wrote any songs on this whole record. It sounds like just vibes and no cohesive songwriting. I don’t really feel like I can give more than a 3, as most of it felt half written.

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

This was a joy! Beautiful totally and lyrically.

Gloomy, miserable, the end of post-punk Cure. This much Paul and I agreed upon, however, he scored 2 stars, me 4. So we compromised on 3.

A cure for the ear bashing of the day before

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

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

Not their best, but you can see the potential

bien, no mucho para mí pero bien

I saw the cure on the Wish tour. By then, they had lots of crowd pleasures they could end the show with. But they did an extended version of "A Forest." It was simply an amazing way to end the show. "A Forest" is what all the best Cure songs are: moody and atmospheric.

idk im thinking like 7?

A Forest is a banger, rest meh

Very sparse. A specific, gloomy mood. I appreciate it and acknowledge it's influence and quality. I can't love it.

Other Cure albums stuck with me more, but still enjoyed this. 3.3/5.

Pleasant

These guys sure know how to beat you over the head with a chord progression. At least they had the decency to write most of these songs in a minor key.

In this album I really hear the inspiration for so many other bands I have enjoyed.

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

jest mega spoko

Standouts A Forest

temones increíble álbum chill

ja gewoon top, goede gitaar jams en huilende britten

This early album shows a lot of development on the gothic sound they pioneered. Dark, eerie, and subtly mysterious, the tracks are understated and evocative. It has a low-budget production that showcases bleak minimalism. I don't latch on to it as much as their later pop-oriented hits or higher production albums, but it's a good listen.

More familiar with Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me era. Quiet little album, very subdued. I prefer later albums

I dig it. I absolutely would've listened to this in my teenage hipster years. Perhaps isn't hitting as hard with me right now, but I thoroughly enjoy this. Adding it to my regular music rotation.

Nothing particularly wowing me, but still a solid post-punk album all around. I enjoyed the effects-heavy guitar and bass throughout, and Smith's broody/whiny voice fits the mood. 8/10.

8/10

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

Génial

A somewhat somber but quite good rock album. The instrumentation particularly shines and stands out despite being a more minimalist album, and the lyrics are hauntingly well done. I don't think I completely connected with this though, so it's going to come up shy of 5 stars.

Certainly not as riveting as some of their other work. It’s very minimalist, great mood-building and atmosphere but it takes too long for anything to land.

This is a great find for me. Never listened when this albumfifst came out.

Ik vond dit wel gezellig. Ik denk dat ik een beetje een fout beeld had van The Cure als zo een zeer heftige rockband, het is leuk om mij eens positief te vergissen.

Enjoyed my time with this album, even if it wasn't my favorite. I understand the appeal.

A moody, minimalist early album from the kings of mope. It contains one great song, "A Forest," a couple others that are pretty decent such as "Play for Today, " but many songs sound incomplete or like fragments of songs. The faraway vocal effect on some songs is eerie and dreamlike but I can't help but feel it's more like an album of demos. The mood is ominous but most of the songs feel half baked.

Really enjoyed this early career Cure album. A few songs almost feel like sketches or demos, quite abstract and experimental, but then there's some really great atmospheric and broody tracks like A Forest and the closer title track. 3.5 rounded up

The vocal seemed almost turned down low. Overall was not something I would listen to again.

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

False, it is actually much longer than that

never heard of this one, secret cure??? overall good gothy vibes, kind of quintessentially the cure? it's good 💥a forest

Much more dark and experimental than I was expecting. It’s good but from a first listen I prefer their later stuff.

i know what a 5/5 The Cure album sounds like and this isn't it

Seventeen Seconds es una obra de arte atemporal y el plano arquitectónico sobre el que se fundó el post-punk gótico. El álbum destaca por un diseño sonoro minimalista donde se entretejen muy bien instrumentos, electrónica y voz, dando una atmósfera unificada y profundamente magnética. El disco transita por una dualidad fascinante, ofreciendo paz y fluidez a ratos, alternados con momentos de eco con un vacío deliberado que expande el espacio acústico. En este paisaje brilla con luz propia "A Forest", un clásico que puedo escuchar en repetición infinita y que condensa la maestría del grupo para crear tensión con recursos mínimos. La arquitectura del álbum descansa sobre una métrica rígida e hipnótica; lejos de resultar monótona, la rigidez rítmica es una estructura que permite seguir la melodía y es muy bailable, la cual puede llevar al trance si uno se deja llevar. Sobre esta base, la interpretación vocal resulta desgarradora, mostrando una voz que es dulce pero también suena como un grito en la oscuridad. Nos encontramos ante un trabajo compacto y pulido que ha envejecido bien, poseyendo una versatilidad tan noble que se abre a múltiples usos: ejercicio, carretera, bailar, reflexionar, estudiar y trabajar creativo.

Good music, but stuff I appreciate more than actually enjoy

Great album, extremely atmospheric and surreal. Will sound phenomenal on vinyl. Not quite outstanding enough to get 5 stars, but just a great listening experience throughout.

I was surprised by this. I liked the atmospherics of the album - it has a spooky, goth vibe. This is different to my previous exposure to the Cure. Will listen again

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.

An absolute classic

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]

Not my favorite cure album, but I like it still.

Darker than their later stuff

2 stars komplett buns da gleicher sound aber irgendwie ganz cool

Pretty solid but didnt wow me.

Ethereal

The songs might be a little weak on their own but they come together to form a really great album experience.

timeless, moody, upbeat the next

Classic cure sound, something you can play in the background.

Estuvo bien

Fine enough music but almost too ethereal, slides right off of me, nothing to grab onto

The minimalist spooky approach can be very intriguing, but then it became flatter the second/third time around. I was very down with the big scary ahhh version of The Cure on Pornography. I guess this is the crippling anxiety quiet kid version of The Cure. More tame on the fearful sound, perhaps in an unsettling way itself. But there's more space that while I can admire from a certain point of view, is ultimately empty. I think only one track stands out for sure, the penultimate "At Night". The rest is either hit or miss. I'm a big fan of that dark gothic Unknown Pleasures/Juju sound. But those records make larger splashes while this settles in its subdued waters. Certainly a step that should be lauded in the band's career, but not a strong buzz for the long term. It also lasts longer than seventeen seconds (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)

amazing.

hell yeah

no es para mí

I only knew A Forest going into this record. Pleased to report all songs sound the same, as expected.

Great Album. Really enjoyed it. I was only familiar with A Forest, which I love, but some other great songs on here.

i’ve always had a complicated feeling for the Cure music, it wants to be Duran Duran, The Cars and cyndi lauder with a mysterious flare. just can’t get on board.

i am sad atm so it hit good

It's fine I guess? I can understand why it's popular but I don't know

In one ear. Out the other.

*1980. *A little more subtle, minimalist, and bleak than other Cure albums. Feels pretty goth. *Only 38 mins. *The Cure is always solid - there are no standouts here though. RATING - 7/10

Must say I've never really understood why The Cure is as highly regarded as they are. But this album at least reveals parts of it. Oozing with chorusy guitar lines and moody melodies is what this album is all about. It is also quite simple in its execution. Not overproduced, and not many elements at all to it. But that is partly what I like about it. It's easy to grasp and take in. It's also coherent and never strays from its path, while still managing to present new interesting melodies over and over again. I guess it comes down to whether you like this sound or not. If you don't, it gets overwhelming quite fast. Luckily I do, and I found myself liking more than I expected to. Weak 4 stars!

I’ve never really gotten in to the Cure, not sure what it is but something just doesn’t engage me like it should. Sure, “Friday I’m In Love” is a good track but I never really saw the greatness. This album at least peaked my interest more than the others. It had less big sound scapes and more raw guitar emotion. That sat right with me. Forest was my favourite song and the other were ok too. I might be a bigger The Cure fan if they took a different direction in later albums.

enjoyed this, i like the cures sound 3.5

The cure 5 star chef’s kiss

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.

2.8

A good album, I liked In Your House, A Forest, St Night and Play For Today the most.

This might be a rare opinion, but Seventeen Seconds is a genuine masterpiece and The Cure's best album. I'm not sure I've heard something that so perfectly captures the feeling of isolation as this. It has a sort of anxious melancholy that I find strangely comfortable. The hits, Play for Today and A Forest, are definitely superb on their own. But they work even better in the context of this record. A Reflection sets the tone so perfectly, signaling this will be an introspective and experimental album. So much of the runtime is devoted to creating this atmosphere, but the album somehow still feels playful -- the sound of a band figuring out in real time what they're going to be about (sometimes even as the tape runs out). A Forest itself is simultaneously the most successful piece atmospherically and structurally. Like most of the record, it feels like a film... the opening notes setting the stage for a surreal nightmare that builds... threatening to strike until it suddenly leaves you... once again alone. M might be the most straightforward song on the record, but it's also one of the best. My personal pick when I need some Cure for my playlist but don't want to go with one of the more-obvious choices. With At Night and Seventeen Seconds, the isolation crystallizes... becoming a permanent, inescapable state. At this point, I will often choose to repeat the whole experience... knowing I'll never truly escape this album's pull. I couldn't fault anyone for choosing any number of The Cure records as their favorite -- I've had Head On The Door and Disintegration both at the top before -- but this is the one that feels most like a complete experience I want to return to again and again.

Strong 3.5. Álbum agradável, mas nada que me chamou tanta atenção, talvez seja melhor depois de algumas ouvidas

Repetative

Enjoyable but nothing super memorable for me. I enjoyed the mood and atmosphere. 3.5/5.

Sparse, dark, depressing and it hits the right spot. It took me three listens before I «got» the album, but then it got me as well. Only two standout songs, but with this album it’s more about the vibe. Standouts: A Forest, M

Most of this was new to me aside from the hit single. Pretty, pretty good.

Man, my shoes are pretty dirty. I was able to get a good look at them and ponder the sadness in my soul for what sure felt longer than seventeen seconds. Oh well, on with the black eyeliner. Pretty good album overall, though definitely not as dynamic as some of their other work.

It’s good! Still not too well-versed in early Cure (Cure-ly) so the more raw sound might take some getting used to, but there’s just a good amount of this band i like more.

Loved it. Chill enough but rock enough. The vibe is right. 4/5.

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.

A Reflection - 3/5 Play For Today - 4/5 Secrets - 3.5/5 In Your House - 4/5 Three - 3.5/5 The Final Sound - 3.5/5 A Forest - 4.5/5 M - 3.5/5 At Night - 3.5/5 Seventeen Seconds - 3/5

Alright enough is enough. Out of the last 14 albums, three have been The Cure. One was OK, the other I was bored to tears, but regardless isn't this a bit much? This was the most boring of the three, so one star it is. I thought The Cure had a bunch of hits, but in three albums, I've heard maybe 2 or 3 songs I recognize. The rest sound mostly the same.

Just not the right day

Celkem dobry, hodne instrumentalni. Je od nich Lullaby

Never been much into the cure but this honestly suprised me a lot.

"A forest" is such a phenomenal song. That alone makes the albums deserves at least a 4* rating. I should listen to more of the Cure.

Enjoyable albeit a little underwhelming. RYM: N Saved a song: N

Interesting.

i dont like how quiet roberts voice is in some of the songs, i can barely hear him. the album builds a cold vibe tho, its not bad. the title track is probably my favorite. A forest seems to be a fan favorite but i dont get why.

Such an interesting band trajectory, The Cure. Hard to rate a singular album for such an ambitious and expansive group as this: with the retrospective of the career-spanning narrative arc, it’s hard not to view the forest rather than this tree, etc. All that said, this relatively early record of theirs is a key bridge to the Goth and bombast: brooding but minimalist; good not great; their best was yet to come.

Arrancó y dije chau hoy me pego un tiro. Después no está tan mal e incluso algún tema me gustó. Dicho esto no queda guardado.

Pretty decent sounds - I did like the haunting nature of some of the music - but not really my favorite genre. Really liked "A Forest" which also turned out to be their top single on the album. Overall pretty solid . 3

yeah

Stundtals briljant.

Har fortsatt svårt för rösten men det instrumentala är bra! Stark 3a

Otroligt svag för the Cure. Kan inte bestämma mig om jag föredrar det här atmosfäriska deppet eller den förra vi hade uppe, som var tyngre. ”A forest” och ”at night” höjdpunkter. Det här var gothdeppigt och kul, men blev ändå sugen på att få upp det mer låtfokuserade, mindre experimentella och poppigare Cure nästa gång. Stark 3a i alla fall.

Vafan ett till album från the cure där jag inte hört en enda låt. Eller jo har hört a forest! Borde jag skämmas? Nej, för resten e inte så kul :(

tyvärr lite för tråkigt men också en vibe

Faller ju platt när man vet att Disintegration hägrar

Look, the Cure are great artists and as a band are iconic, influential and inspirational. Is this the greatest evidence of this, probably not, would I suggest you start at one of their other albums, probably. Should you model your look off Robert Smith, well that’s just up to you.

Seventeen Seconds is calm, moody, and easy to listen to if you enjoy quiet music. The songs create a strong atmosphere, but many of them sound similar, so the album loses some excitement. I liked the feeling it creates more than the individual tracks, even though several moments are genuinely memorable.

Not for me

This album, for me, truly marks the beginning of the 1980s sound as we know it; the new wave elements are fresh and timeless, Smith's vocals are emotive and keening. The music is bruised and brooding, steeped in angsty guitar twangs and gothic-esque textures, sitting on harmonies that mediate between pleasant and intentionally discordant. While very much a harbinger of The Cure that was sure to come, this album still tends to feel like a run-up, as some ideas and sounds are still left needing development.

8 - GOOD

Really liked the first album this though did not

I feel like this would be best on a long train ride through a sketchy city at night before a huge event. This whole album feels likes it's building up to something. It's calm, it's focused, it's spooky. It doesn't build up to anything, the title track feels like an unresolved ending

Très calme... Trop calme... Bon album, qui peut se rapprocher à de la minimale mais qu'il faut écouter en ayant une autre activité étant donné qu'il prend peu de place dans la pièce

I love The Cure. This is the beginning of their "new sound", transforming from poppy punk to the dark and moody sound we know them for most. It's not my favourite album, but it's still great.

One of the big three!!!

Loved

So like the 5th best Cure record alright, sure. This was good

The jangly guitars, the emotion and the styling is all here - the part missing is arguably the melodies.

FINALLY a non-shitty album to rate. i've had a dry spell for nearly a couple weeks i think i already discovered and rated this one on my own time outside of this list, but i loved it from front to back so i don't mind a re-listen A Reflection - no rating Play for Today - 5/5 Secrets - 4/5 In Your House - 5/5 Three - 3/5 The Final Sound - no rating A Forest - 5/5 M - 5/5 At Night - 4/5 Seventeen Seconds - 5/5 Average score: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am a simple the Cure fan, so it’s an easy 5 stars for me. This album is the essence of the gothic movement. And special mention to A Forest and At Night - I still remember that special, magnificent feeling during their live performance

My first album by The Cure during this run! I’ve never listened to this album in full despite listening to them religiously, but I’m really glad I did. I see it as more of a 7/10, but I’d also rather die than give it 3 stars, sooo…

The instrumentals are nice in "A Reflection", the piano is kind of peaceful, a good entry way into the album. The second song "Play for Today" has some kind of love complaint lyrics that are nice, well written. And it goes well with the drums and a very good bass line that stands out and makes the song pop out. Third song has very quiet lyrics, reflecting the name of the song "secrets", it's being whispered.

lowkey should be 3.5 not 4 because not the most consistently good album but i kinda fw it

music is love

I'm no great lover of The Cure, but I'm not a hater either! I think they're fine and write perfectly good songs, but the production just leans a little too into the 80's sound that I would never choose to stick on. Still, good time!

When the band was most popular, it had a reputation for an unusual and eclectic sound and in my opinion this album personifies that reputation. I would not classify these songs as rock and roll, and they were definitely unique. While listening to "A Reflection" and "The Final Sound" I had to check that they were part of the album as I wasn't sure if they were part of the album or part of something else. I'm really on the fence regarding this album. I don't hate it, but I'm not sure I really like it either. Best song, "M".

Expected more, this can't be their best album. 2

Early indie, very raw and unproduced. A Forest is a stand out on this album. Much of the other songs have similar format, moody guitar and lyrics with simple drumming. Good listen nonetheless.

Pretty good. Not quiiiite my type of music methinks. Feels like being lost in a fog.

Not as moody as other albums by them. It felt like they discovered what a guitar was. Nothing really hooked me. I didn't need to hear this. But I didn't hate it out of the gate.

Única canción interesante The Forest y otra más que es olvidable de todas formas. Si vas a hacer interludios que sean mínimamente interesantes.

At some point I thought the record was stuck... but it was still pretty chill

17 seconds is about as much as I could handle of this whingey tripe. The fact that these are popular in the cultural desert across the Atlantic tells a sorry story

I was a bad goth. Robert Smith was too whiny for me.

Decent. No more, no less. It accompanied me through my morning routine without making a fuss.

4.5

meh

Made me feel eerie, quietly powerful

I have strong (and possibly unpopular) opinions of The Cure, but Seventeen Seconds is a decent album. Relatively compact and showcasing some of the band's strengths in theming and songwriting.

So dark and heavier than the Cure I knew.

If this had been the first Cure album I heard instead of Kiss Me, I’d have written them off instead of becoming a fan. Low energy and no bite.

Already heard this quite a few times before. Great album by The Cure. They are fantastic at setting up an atmosphere, this album is a good example of that. The Forest is the standout track, so good

I like some of the Cure, but this ain't it

Не самый хитовый альбом Cure. Но наиболее отражающий пост-панк начала 80-х.

Not my thing at all

I like pictures of you better.

Gloomy and minimal, but a well done gloomy and minimal. Production is very limited though. I enjoyed it in the main not having listened to it for 45 years or so.

you're boring mate (on this one)

This is such a fantastic album: lyrics, bass lines, and excellent singing. Its not quite Disintegration but its close enough to get a 5 from me. I am sad that I dont have any more Cure albums left on the list. I will have to look forward to 6 more Costellos. 3 Dylans and probably 2 or more Tom Waits.:(

A solid album overall, I can dig the vibe, it’s pretty mellow. I think it’s my fav overall Cure album form what I’ve heard. 4 stars

This is probably the most energetic I've heard The Cure. Still, it's The Cure, so it's energetic for a funeral dirge. The album starts to drag, as the tempo and structure don't vary much from song to song. It sounds bloody fantastic, though. You could pick any song and easily see why they were pioneering for Goth rock. As an aside, Nirvana's "About a Girl" seems like it might have been strongly influenced by "M."

This album is a masterclass in atmospheric minimalism, functioning like a psychological landscape that strips away all musical clutter to reveal something skeletal and haunting. The production is deliberately thin and refrigerated, creating a sense of isolation that feels both physical and emotional. The cold mansion imagery is a perfect fit for this record. The instrumentation—those tight, metronomic drums and the chorus-heavy, spindly guitar lines—echoes through the tracks like footsteps in an empty, unfurnished room. It captures a specific type of domestic haunting where the protagonist isn't just alone, but is navigating a space where the memory of someone else still lingers in the air. The voices of a loved one leading nowhere is central to the album’s tension. In tracks like "In Your House" and the title track, there is a feeling of time slipping away or being frozen. Robert Smith’s vocals sound distant, as if he’s calling out from the end of a long hallway, chasing a presence that is perpetually out of reach. It’s a study in the empty spaces that remain after a state of mind has fractured. You are right to feel that glimmer of hope at the end. While the album is famously bleak, there is a catharsis through endurance. The music doesn't necessarily become happy, but it becomes more solid. The hope lies in the clarity of the conclusion; the protagonist has stopped searching for ghosts in the forest and has accepted the silence. There is a strange kind of peace in reaching the bottom of that emotion—once the seventeen seconds are over, the panic subsides and leaves a quiet, open space for whatever must come next.

Very minimal compared to their later work, especially disintegration. As a sophomore effort, they developed tremendously from this.

Before Pornography took them into darker, more depressing territory, The Cure made goth look cool on Seventeen Seconds. I love the brooding energy and how creepy this feels. However the energy is still quite high.

Not a bad way to bring up my 300th album on the list. The album is a more mature progression from their debut; it doesn’t have perhaps as many highs but overall it’s greater than the sum of its parts - full of moody soundscapes and textures. The obvious high point on the album is A Forest, which is like they knew it at the time and made it a centre piece for the album with the preceding The Final Sound appearing to exist purely to set up its entrance, and I quite like how that track almost malfunctions and falls apart to make way for it.

I guess I liked this more than "Pornography," but man The Cure is not for me. Robert Smith sounds like he's mid turd-push with tears in his eyes, and this weird spooky halloween-goth-rock just sounds mediocre at best to me. Did not add a single track to my liked songs playlist.

wow

Why this album instead of like... almost any other they put out in the 80s ? Its far from a bad album but its not a good pick if you want to make a 1001 best album list I loved "Play for today" and ofc, "The forest". The problem with this album is just that it contains like 2 fillers but other than that its a fun listen. its like a really low 4/5.

Recombinant album. This was very prototypical goth music in my mind, and sounded a lot like the police if they had a worse drummer (lovingly), and also Sting wasn't as talkative. Overall, enjoyed as an album to lock in with. Favorite track was Play for Today.

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

It takes a few listens for particular songs to stand out, but the overall sound is great. I love the rhythm section as well as the guitar work on this album.

Another very enjoyable Cure album. Shorter songs and quite accessible. Not a weak track on the record.

This sounds like a collection of ideas put to tape. Anyone who tells you this is good is lying to themselves.

While I hadn't necessarily heard a ton of The Cure's song before this, I did like all of the ones that I had heard. In general I do enjoy new wave, so I figured I would at least like this. My expectations for the album were exceeded. I don't think I would listen to any of these songs on their own, but I would absolutely listen to it as a whole again.

I can not believe this was the first time I’ve heard this album as an album! I am impressed. Not that Robert Smith cares what I think. But wow. This one deserves a 5. It’s fully composed! I have to listen again- but I know it. Ending with 17 seconds was powerful.

No bad

good for background music while studying and stuff.

7/10

i haven't listened to _seventeen seconds_ in forever and am once again questioning why that's the case. such a remarkably great album and so, so different from _three imaginary boys_. beginning with "a reflection", we hear a new direction for the band. "a forest" is still one of their best songs ever

Great album. Every song is good. Early 80’s new wave. Definitional.

Not the best from the Cure, especially since I listened to “Disintegration” yesterday, but enjoyable. Don’t love the short tracks, but at least they do their thing and finish quickly.

i really love the guitar tone and the bass across this whole album. maybe it's just from the 2006 remaster that i pulled up, but they sound soooo damn good. listened to this one twice, and i don't know if i love it on the whole as i think there are some misses, but it's short enough that it's a really enjoyable album experience. "play for today" and "a forest" are my faves. this being a 1980 release feels REALLY ahead of its time because i can hear just how much they either inspired or were copied by others. to me the energy feels very "lazy weekend afternoon" if that makes sense? it's something about the way songs feel like they are stasis that makes me think i could throw this on in the background while laying in bed and have a lovely time.

My knowledge of The Cure can be best summed up as "The band with the one song". Similar to Blur and Song 2, this often leads people to having a pretty big misunderstanding of the bands style, and yeah that's true here. This wasn't what I expected in a pretty good way! Post-Punk and Goth-Rock as a genre combination is always going to be something I'm pretty interested in, and yeah, this delivers! The more experimental songs like "Three" which I really enjoy, are short enough that they never wear out their welcome. Meanwhile the soundscape is varied enough here that the album never feels like it's repeating itself. All this usually would result in something that feels as if its rushing, indeed it is very compact. In actuality, the pacing on this album is truly top notch. Instrumental sections give songs just enough time to breath, like the building intro to "A forest". This feels like an album that is very aware that it's going to be listened to as an album experience, and so its perfect for something like this list.

As much as I love Robert Smith's voice--could it be THE voice of the 80s?--there was something unexpectedly interesting about a Cure album with long stretches of instrumental sections. They certainly know how to write a catchy bass line. It really gave me an appreciation of their musicianship I maybe didn't have before.

Decent, but didn't hit as hard as Kiss me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me or Disintegration

Great production - it just isn’t my kind of music.

I.. did not particularly like this. I like goth music, but The Cure is a band that I just can’t seem to get into very much. This was my first time listening to a full album from them, and.. it was extremely boring to me. Maybe this wasn’t the right album to have as a first full-length Cure listen, or maybe I just had to be there in order to “get” it. Who knows, maybe I’ll revisit it another time and like it more. But I would be a liar if I said I enjoyed this listening experience. If an album has me checking to see how much longer a song has until it ends.. not a good sign. It just felt very monotonous to me. Now, I love Robert Smith as a person and I deeply respect The Cure for how incredibly influential they were, and continue to be, in the goth scene. I can definitely see why someone might really like this album, but it failed to do much of anything for me. I’d have to give this one a 3/5. It wasn’t BAD necessarily, but.. just unremarkable. Album highlights: In Your House, A Forest, At Night

3

Nice and moody, a sort of hint at their later sound as compared to eg. “Boys Don’t Cry” from their first album

I really enjoyed the sound of this album which—like all other (one) cure albums I’ve listened to—had a pretty consistent sound throughout all of the tracks It wasn’t as good as disintegration but it was really strong still and I don’t think there were any songs I disliked, the intro could maybe be a skip however 3.5

First time listening a The Cure album and must admit kinda surprised. A lot of vibes and atmospheric sounds, ehich I can tell influenced lots of bands I listen to, although, it can be boring, even being a relatively short album. Forest is by far my favourite track, and yeah, might give it another listen. 3/5

yeah...no

Its was just okay, not bad, but not good either

Psychedelic album, second half is absolute banger. A mountain where the forest and M are on top of it.

4 for a Forest

This album isn't bad, but it isn't anything remarkable either. It gave me the impression of a British teenage boy who just discovered GarageBand for the first time. It's a very dry record, which is fine, just not my cup of tea. The drums and bass sound fine, but I didn't really like the guitar sound. It's stringy enough to be annoying but not enough to feel that rhythmic. I think The Cure isn't for me.

perfect album to play whenever I want to be moody and British or haven't brushed my hair in a while

1.3/5 I've heard a few of the cure's songs and i really like what I've heard so I was excited to listen to this album. I was severely disappointed. It was slow and uninteresting with no real "hits". I'm hoping there are some more Cure albums on this list and they can restore my faith in them.

I was previously familiar with The Cure, but not this album. This is a bit different from The Cure sound I know, but I do see the elements of that sound here in this earlier album. This has some pop/new wave elements which are typical of the time period, but I can see where their direction would be going too. I wouldn't mind hearing this again, but probably would seek out other Cure albums over this one.

A favorite from The Cure for sure.

Perfect

the collection of songs all work together well, but there are a number of filler pieces that are just that... which is ok, but just a warning to the listener.

Ta Bueno

A Forest makes this a classic. Solid album start to finish. Ahead of it's time. A leap from the first album and outside of Disintegration their best effort.

A Forest is good, but the rest of.the album is so minimal that it's just boring.

Wonderful

6/10

Love

Not bad but it really felt like background noise for most of it

Seventeen Seconds is the third album by The Cure I’ve listened to as part of this challenge. I previously scored Pornography and Disintegration very highly, so I went into this expecting more of the same. After a few listens today, this might actually be my favourite Cure album. It’s dark, moody, and haunting, and feels way ahead of its time. As a complete piece of music, it’s brilliant. The album moves between goth and a kind of electronic melancholy. The sound is minimal, built on reverb and space, simple on the surface but with real depth underneath. It creates this intense atmosphere that runs through the whole record, and the lyrics fit that mood perfectly. Robert Smith’s voice is made for this kind of music. Favourite tracks: A Forest has always been one of my favourite Cure songs. On its own it’s epic, but within the album it feels even bigger and more powerful Least favourite tracks: Every song on the album is brilliant Album artwork: Love the cover, it perfectly matches the mood of the album

Dark, brooding and atmospheric. Got to be in the right mood to enjoy this, but if you are (and I was by chance), then this is very very good. 4

i listened to this once and wasnt sure that if i didnt know they were the cure if would i sitll like it. listened to it again and yeah its a great album

Siendo sincero, no soy muy fan de The Cure. Reconozco que es una gran banda y que tuvo un impacto importante, sobre todo dentro del rock gótico, pero no es un género que me atraiga demasiado. En general, las canciones me resultaron bastante repetitivas. La excepción fue "A Forest", donde entiendo perfectamente por qué es la más destacada del álbum ya que logra salir un poco de ese esquema más lineal que tienen los demás temas. También rescato algunos detalles puntuales, como el riff oscuro y pesado de "At Night", que realmente me gustó, aunque no pasó mucho más allá de eso. En resumen, sé que es una banda muy buena, pero no termino de conectar con su música en general, ya que pertenece a un estilo con el que no me identifico demasiado. Mi calificación sería un 6/10.

a great album. i love how concise it is.

I thought this was my second album from the list by The Cure, but I must have been mistaking The Cure for The Smiths or The xx. I know who The Cure are, I know they are a rock band, or maybe more specifically, a goth-rock band or post-punk. I’ve not listened to much of their music. Growing up in the rural south, I’d imagine there weren’t many of my peers listening to The Cure. Though I can only speak for myself and my friends. I do remember some goths from my time in high school, so I guess there maybe there were a few Cure fans then. I’m ready to dive in. This is the second album by the group and the first one co-produced by frontman Robert Smith. Track 1 is A Reflection, and the music already sounds spooky and foreboding. Okay. That was an instrumental, and it sounded like what music would be playing as Bruce Lee snuck around the compound in the movie Enter the Dragon. Just very spooky and atmospheric. Weird, but not altogether unpleasant. Maybe Track 2 will have a bit more. Track 2 is Play for Today, and this sounds like post-punk in the early '80s. I really like this song. It has a very 80s production, but it doesn’t sound dated. Robert Smith’s vocals go well with the music. Just a pretty straight forward song. Nothing outstanding. I know the lyrics of The Cure carry some weight. I may go back and listen again, paying more attention to the lyrics. Track 3 is Secrets, and the vocals are so buried in the music it’s like the band really does want to keep them secret. The music sounds fine. Again, it’s 80s post punk. I’ve yet to really gather why The Cure developed such a huge, loyal cult following. Track 4 is In Your House and it starts off a little different from the other songs. I like this groove they’ve got going. Supposedly, the song is about being trapped or isolated in a bad relationship, “I drown at night in your house.” I love the sound of the guitars on this album. I'm beginning to come under the spell of the band. Track 5 is called Three and it again starts out with someone speaking, but his voice is so quiet, you can’t really make out what he’s saying. The Cure is trying to keep a lot of secrets on this album. The music, again, sounds ominous, but it’s great. It builds a mood. However, there’s this constant chatter underneath the music that you can’t make out, but you know it’s there. I'm really loving the music on this album, but it's like you need a magnifying glass for your ears to hear vocals on about half the songs. That might work with lonely teenage goths, but it just pisses me off. Track 7 is called A Forest and it was the only single released from the album. Holy crapballs, I love this song already. It sounds so good, music-wise. Plus, we can actually hear the vocals on this one. I can see why this band has such a huge following. Besides making great music, it’s one of those bands that if you know, you know. But even if you really don’t know, and you just think you know, that’s enough to be put under The Cure’s spell. Some critics said this song is the best representation of their gothic rock phase. Like most of the other songs, it sounds like it’s from the 80s, but if you told me it was released in 2024, I’d believe you. The Cure feels, or sounds, timeless to me. Track 8 is called M, and it sounds a bit different from the other songs thus far. The guitars are a bit more jangly. The song was written for Smith’s girlfriend, now wife, Mary. Hmmm, bet you didn’t expect that, did you? Yep, even Robert Smith writes songs to get girls. Anyway, it’s a good song. It probably means a lot to Mary more than me, but I don't think it quite matches up to the music we’ve already heard. Track 9 is At Night and it’s got some fuzz in the guitar. It seems Smith loves writing about isolation. I can see how young folks deeply connect to these lyrics. All young folks at one time or another feel lost, lonely, and isolated. Like they’re freaks going through something no one has ever gone through before. It’s a part of growing up. So, when you hear a song that touches on what you’re going through, that band or singer becomes your ride or die. Smith seemed to really know how to write about what young folks go through. Probably because he was young at the time, or just past being young. It seems he was right around 19-20 years old when writing and recording these songs. The song, after starting out really well, falls off at the end. Still a cool song, but not as fuzzy and garage-rocky as I was hoping for. Track 10 is the title track, Seventeen Seconds. We’ve got those jangly guitars at the beginning. This song kind of hits me with a bit of Pink Floyd influence. This song sounds like it’s about suicide. The Cure got accused of being responsible for kids' depression and suicide. Smith pointed out that the songs were written to help the band with the same depressive thoughts and desires. Just a powerful song. Not my favorite on the album, though. Well, that was quick. The album was just 35 minutes, which is perfect for an album about death, isolation, loneliness, and everything else depressing. However, it sounded great. I get how The Cure became a huge band. I’d also recommend this album as a must-listen. It’s a great starting point for goth rock. Who knows, this might have been the music you have been looking for your whole life.

Nothing for me. Guess I wasn’t high enough.

Meh..three was nice..closing track was good ig…overall just too boring

M is one of the best songs I've listened to for this challenge. Whole album is great though. The feeling of darkness that became the focal point for emo and goth acts following The Cure feels wholly original here, in spite of the groups influence. Whole album is a great listen, and I'll definitely be playing it again.

Very chill. Added sum to my playlist. Very good album to listen late night :)

Enjoyed it, but not more than three stars' worth. ★★★

This record was decent at best. I didn't enjoy much, and none of it was memorable. Favourite Track(s): The Final Sound, M Least Favourite Track(s): A Forest

I love this album and am so happy it made the list. This album and the 'Faith' album were on repeat for years.

I found it quite drab, the forest is the only song that connected

SO GOOD

Robert smith’s voice and intonations provide such a good atmosphere to these songs. This album does an amazing job at giving the listener an extremely distinct feeling that’s hard to pin down. The guitar, as with every album from the cure, is awesome and very catchy. The songs also feel very rhythmic (?) which is cool. Sort of just not as good as some of their other albums and a little one note but that one note is awesome. Fav songs: M, at night

Had a difficult time listening to this one, most of the songs have no lyrics which i get isnt a criteria on its own but, even when there was lyrics, i felt it was just to fill in the gap of having just music, which sometimes sucked because the music itself was really telling of the emotion it was trying to procure.

i liked maybe two songs but i barely enjoy it. maybe i just wasnt in the right vibe for it

It’s the Cure. So of course it’s good ♥️

Not the best The Cure album, but still good

Melancholyc and deeper sound. Happy+ sad= the cure

Me gustó mucho, solo conocía un par de temas de la banda y nada que ver. Es como más oscuro pero de la buena manera.

Really really good album. I listened to it a couple of times and I found it to be very atmospheric and able to carry an eerie soundscape while also being laid-back. It felt surreal at times and it reminded me of Twin Peaks. First album I listen to by The Cure and I'm intrigued to check out more by them.

lo escuche un domingo lluvioso a las 4 de la tarde, después de dormir con la ori, grata experiencia

not my favorite

Good, but imho not the best of the Cure

I liked this one so much i listened to it twice. And the next day

Tera me na bedak, ali sve u svemu dobro je.

Great

Absolutely love this. Play for Today and A Forest are two of the best Cure tracks, they both sit on this album along some other beautiful moody yet melodic tracks.

Album #4 I’ve always enjoyed The Cure but never really dived deep into them, so this felt like a proper introduction. I was honestly surprised to see that Seventeen Seconds came out in 1980. The style, recording and overall sound feel way more modern than I expected. It flows really well and you can hear how much it’s influenced other artists. There were a few vocal moments that felt a bit off to me. Not bad, just a bit strange, like I didn’t fully get what was going on there. Mostly it just made me want to put on eyeliner and feel emotional. Wine pairing? A Tempranillo makes sense here, something dark and full-bodied. A Georgian red would also fit the mood really well. Food pairing? Cigarettes and a pack of noodles. Vinyl? I definitely want this on vinyl. Overall I’d give it a 3.5, but since that’s not an option, 4 out of 5 works.

So good! Very chill.

This is another group that gets mentioned in the Goths(2017) song Abandoned Flesh. That definitely made me want to like it more than I do. I did like it, but I'm not sure that I would listen again. It was very atmospheric and I liked the mood the album captured but none of the songs really stood out to me. One of the reviews mentioned it being a good rainy day album which makes sense to me. Maybe I'd enjoy it more if I was in the right place for it. Fav song: M Least fav: The Final Sound

Some stuff I quite liked and then also some weird choices: the background noise in A Reflection made me think there were building works happening outside my office and the mixing on Secrets and At Night was like the lyrics were being whispered. Overall fairly unremarkable album. Favourite song: A Forest Least: A Reflection

nothing of note

Dreamy

Post punk, close to perfection. You can hear them honing their style which would morph into the darker, bigger sound of Disintegration and Pornography. ‘A Forest’ is a masterpiece. ‘Play For Today, ‘Secrets’ and ‘At Night’ are also fantastic, but it all sounds good to me.

Not really a huge Cure fan, especially back in 1980 - I was more of a Judas Priest / Ozzy / AC/DC kind of listener. But I can see its appeal. It is a bit more minimalist and instrumental than I thought it would be.

Entiendo que hay una busqueda, pero mas alla de establecer una atmósfera, el disco no aporta demasiado. The Forest es un buen tema, me hace pisotear al ritmo de The Cure, lo que yo esperaba. Tener solo dos o tres canciones con lirica me juega personalmente en contra, mas cuando lo instrumental no aporta a la construccion, o por lo menos no la entendi, si es que habia tal. Desilusión viniendo de la primera recomendación increíble, y también por esperar mas de la banda.

Okay, niot my thing but i shoudl relisten a few more times

this was an ok album. I enjoyed listening to it while making dinner but probably would not search it out to listen to it again.

I'll put my cards on the table up front and admit that I generally prefer the Cure in pop mode, where they serve a spoonful of sugar to help the doom medicine go down. I even really like the band's early post-punk era, even though Robert Smith doesn't really seem to. Which is to say there's not *quite* enough tunefulness here for me to rank this with the band's absolute best (especially in that mid-album lull). But when the tunes are there, they're incredible - "A Forest" is one of the best tracks of this era by anybody, full stop. Justly influential.

Stand-out tracks: A Reflection, Play For Today, Secrets, M, Seventeen Seconds

Highlights: Play For Today, Three, A Forest, M I often see this record around but I don't really know much about it. I think I played it maybe once before, but it left no impression. This time around it was the same. The style was dull and the lyrics were full of some teenage romantic emo whining. The record is bloated with these "spooky" airy bits which are just too empty of any substance to justify how much they waste your time... It really feels like they had a single and decided to aura farm on the rest of the record. There are some tracks that do have potential but are dragged out (i.e. At Night). Highlights were meh, and the record even more so. Won't be revisiting.

I really liked it. Went into it only having heard just like heaven, boys don't cry, friday I'm in love. But I thought it created a sort of melancholy atmosphere, flowed good, was a nice 34 minutes

I really dig where Robert Smith’s vocals sit on this album. Almost like an afterthought. That decision adds to the ghostly atmosphere this record oozes, partly because it was recorded in a church. Pretty cool. Fantastic guitar tone that feels like ear candy. It’s longer songs drag a bit, but it doesn’t hurt it’s messaging or delivery. Highlights: Secrets, In Your House, Three, M Lowlight: At Night

p456. 1980. 2 stars. Dreary and miserable early 80s Brit synth pop. It's the musical equivalent of a grey, wet and cold February morning in Manchester. No thanks.

there will never be anyone like Michael

its difficult to go into early cure divorcing urself from the knowledge of the more layered, baroque direction they would eventually go...pornography is just two years after this, and it sounds less like the ice sculpture songs here than it does an unholy wall of sound. it kind of drives home that for all the cure records ive heard, the unified strength is just how well every player and every sound locks together...and its perhaps easiest to appreciate on this relatively unadorned record that nonetheless proves the fact that the band's central sound and songwriting are so vivid that they can create feeling and image and atmosphere even in their most direct form. records like pornography and disintegration are often so overwhelming in their effect that i struggle to hold them all in my ears...theres something comforting ab how digestible this record is, how it scratches my ears in such an immediate and honest way. all while still being obviously masterful enough to have tracks that clearly have to rank among their best material ever. getting more into this band is a priority for whenever im receptive to listening to albums that arent just my daily one lol

Really chill mood setting cure. Didn't seem like much lyrics and felt short but thought it was great. (But think they do better)

Really like the cure but haven’t listened to much of their early stuff. Imagined it would be miserable. It was. But also great b

Great album

The Final Sound

Decent 4

Good

The cure is a total blind spot for me (a lot of these artists are). I liked this a lot actually but I kind of feel like the music was so nice and the guys voice almost ruined it? Favorite is the forest

their other stuff is better but good for background like working

Good will revisit

The forest är en klassiker, annars inte bästa skivan.

Just not a huge fan of The Cure

The Cure is de band waar de sfeer overweldigend is, maar het pure vakmanschap niet overschaduwd zoals dat bij sommige andere goth/post-punk bands wel het geval is. Dit album scoort gigantisch hoog op het eerste onderdeel, en is misschien wel het sfeervolste album na 'Disintegration' en 'Pornography', maar heeft te weinig memorabele songs om echt op hetzelfde niveau mee te doen. Maar mijn hemel wat blijft 'A Forest' een dijk van een nummer. Eén van die weinige liedjes waarbij je bij elke luisterbeurt weer verstelt staat van de klasse. 7/10 Highlights: M A Forest

Ik heb the Cure ooit op Pinkpop gezien. In 2012 denk ik, met Stijn en Joran. Geen idee meer wat zij er van vonden, maar ik was onder de indruk. In mijn onvolwassen leven had ik een paar leuke bandjes gezien, maar boy dit was pas muziek maken. Hoe the Cure een bak geluid over de weide in Landgraaf blies was echt waanzinnig. A Forest was het enige nummer dat ik destijds kende. Nu, bijna 14 jaar later, laat een random generator mij weer naar the Cure luisteren. Ondertussen ken ik heel wat meer van hun muziek, maar blijft A Forest nog altijd een weergaloze post-punk track die wat mij betreft ver boven de rest uittorent. Niet gezegd dat de rest niet van kwaliteit is. Integendeel. Het bijzondere van Seventeen Seconds is de heerlijke sfeer/vibe die ze neerzetten, maar het verzand daar niet in. Na het uitgesponnen A Forest volgt M. Gedeeltelijk hetzelfde geluid, maar veel directer, puntiger. De kickdrum in At Night is een mooie voorbode voor alle new-wave platen die in de jaren na Seventeen Seconds zullen volgen. The Cure is uniek en helemaal mijn straatje (moody goth rock?). Seventeen Seconds vind ik één van hun beste en gebalanceerde platen. En omdat het zo lang is geleden dat er 5 sterren zijn uitgedeeld... 8,5/10 Highlights A Forest M Seventeen Seconds

The Cure started to get their sound on this LP. A Forest is the 5 star and best track by far but there are lot of slow burn number that get better with listening even if the album isn't quite as good as the ones that followed it.

It was alright by me

Didn’t mind it, it was chill, but not one of my favs tho :(

Not family with much of The Cure beyond the hits. So this was great to hear.

Review - this album is ok. It's not great. A Forest is great. But this album isn't. If the band that did this album didn't go on to be The Cure, this album would not be on this list. Those other, later Cure albums should be on this list, but this shouldn't. Rating - 4.5/10 Need to hear? NO

The Cure has been one of my favorite bands for years. Though this album isn’t their best, it still has a fantastic haunting, smoky atmosphere and stands much taller than most post punk albums, so it is still getting a 5.

The Cure siempre funciona y tiene tantas canciones pegadizas que un disco de ellos siempre viene bien

Eu adoro música gótica mas não consigo aguentar The Cure. Eles soam muito pretensioso, parece que acha que estão fazendo um grande mousse mas na verdade a maioria das músicas são entediantes, poucas se salvam. E para piorar a voz do vocalista é muito irritante. Apesar de terem uma música ou outra nesse álbum que eu acabei gostando, sinceramente não ouviria de novo. As músicas da banda são ótimas para trilhas sonoras de filmes mas é uma chatice de escutar principalmente com a voz do Robert Smith.

A little better than a 3 I think but not quite a 4 for me.

Gótico y post punk cómo esperas de un álbum de ellos. Increíble lo SUMO que suenan algunas canciones, lineas de bajo, o ritmos. Oscuro album. Y pocas canciones bien hit. Banco la búsqueda. 6/10

On a certain day it might be a vibe but so far nothing really captured my interest. If I was depressed it would’ve slapped but I wasn’t and it kinda made me miserable.

another one. probably was really interesting when it came out but, weren't really arsed

Very very mellow. Need to be in the right mood.

Atmospheric mostly instrumental, maybe I do hate the Cure. However, some of the instrumentals are haunting and somewhat listenable.

Cool. I didn’t realize that they were experimental (?) like that

Moody, gloomy, and kick ass! Love this album and it is not even their best!

I’m much more familiar with the Cure’s later work, so this was a good opportunity to catch up on their older material. But as with other bands on here I’m surprised this album made the cut for the 1001 as it basically sounds like them still trying to find their sound. In particular I was surprised how instrumentally-focused this one was, since I usually associate the Cure with catchy lyrics.

Wowza, better, ?4

3/5

I’m sorry but this one was so boring I guess I’ll start with the good by saying there’s nothing objectively awful with this one, nothing super skippable or ear grating The first song having absolutely nothing going on (I thought my speakers were broken at first) really set the tone. It’s just a bit too sleepy, the vocals aren’t really interesting at all. I don’t think there’s really a whole lot going on with cool instrumentation either. I know these guys make better music than this so a little disappointing to say the least

this is a nothing burger of an album

Unremarkable. Not one song that resonated with me, not one moment of "oh yeah that's a great song." Reminded me of the soundtrack playing in the dungeon from Silence of the Lambs. At least it was only 35 minutes long...

I have no idea what kind of vibe The Cure is going for with this album. It would be like a totally different genre every few songs. It was interesting, but I can't really say I liked it.

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 this is still a solid album. 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 make the best of it. Three Imaginary Boys has great tracks, it’s definitely punkier with songs like Object and So What. But these tracks with the electric drum kit and the bass that drives the melody like on Play for Today are phenomenal. Did I need to hear this before I die? It’s an easy album to turn on and just vibe with.

I must confess, i am a wannabe Cure fan rather than an actual fan. I’ve listened to Boys Dont Cry in it’s entirety but otherwise could probably only tell you the hits. Dont get me wrong, there are plenty of hits and they are amazing but i’ve just never been drawn to entire albums of theirs. I’ve probably listened to Disintegration all the way through a couple of times back in the day. I like Boys Dont Cry because it sounds like The Clash. I think i veer away from the others because often the songs have long intros that dont do anything for me except get me impatient. I get it sets the floaty, melancholic, we have all the time in the world and arent in any hurry type feeling but sometimes i am in a hurry. And honestly, who listens to a song like Pictures of You and says ‘I love that endless beginning where he doesnt sing and the same simple melody is played at the same low level if intensity’. No one. Anyway, this probably wasnt the best album to kindle a love for the Cure albums. I suspect it marks the beginning of their metamorphosis from Clash-esque punk rockers to Goth poster band (before maybe combining the 2 and ending up with pop-goth?). There is a nice simplicity in this album, but it doesnt go anywhere for me. I think it is the drums - too straight, no texture at all, might as well just be a snare keeping beat, you cant hear much else. His vocals are also mixed into the background here. Take the track ‘Three’ for example, cant hear the vocals. It must be deliberate, but why bother singing any words at all. The result is like listening to the same endless riff played over a loud click track. Then you get a song like A Forest and it all makes sense (though arguably the bass is at least interesting on this track and the intro doesnt go on and on).

The Cure being The Cure. Enough said.

I love this album, listened to it twice yesterday. I had never heard it before and was more familiar with their later more pop goth stuff which I also like. This album was something I always wanted and didn't know existed.