from pitchfork:


The Cure Announce New Album Plans

Jessica Suarez reports:
The band that soundtracked a million broken hearts shows no signs of breaking up themselves. According to NME.com, last Friday at Spain's Benicassim Festival, the Cure announced that they plan to release a new album next year. Robert Smith let it slip during the band's two-hour set: "We want to start recording in October/November and get it out by my birthday next year, which I know is quite cheesy," he said. By the way, Smith turns 47 on April 21, 2006, which might make you feel old if seeing Francis Bean in full Olsen-wear and makeup didn't already do that for you.

Smith also said that he planned on working on material with former Siouxsie and the Banshees bassist and songwriter Steve Severin, who has released two solo albums, a film soundtrack, and a book of erotic poetry and prose among other writings since the Banshees called it quits in 1996. "I'm not sure though," he added. "We might kill each other!"

I do feel old knowing Frances Bean is almost a teenager and will be starting her own band soon.

Yeah, I've read this. We'll see if it happens though. Things seem to be quite volatile in the Cure camp and they're known for delays and problems. It'd be quite nice though. With Porl back in the fold, it seems like they could truly make the guitar-heavy album they're after.

I'll bet it won't be as good as Disintegration or Head on the Door.

NWF said:

i hope they don't try to make anything better than those albums. then it truly WOULD be worse.

honestly, i think the cure's best work is way behind them, but i'm always going to be interested to hear new stuff from them. kinda like how i feel about prince, i suppose...

Anxiety said:

Well, sticking around we still get things like "Bloodflowers" and "The Truth". It's always worth it.

GangstaFam said:

Bloodflowers is getting better and better to me.. I'm finally fully getting that album, i think. I never really thought much of the Truth, though.

GangstaFam said:

okay, 'bloodflowers' i'll give you...'out of this world' is one of my favorite cure songs ever.

as for prince's recent stuff, ya know, i appreciate it, honest i do. i have no problem saying that i really enjoy N*E*W*S.

i just wish i heard the same urgency with the cure and prince that i continue to hear in bowie's albums. maybe robert and prince just need to get older. maybe they're in their "never let me down" phases.

Anxiety said:

Oh jeez, it's not that bad. I think they already hit that with Wild Mood Swings and New Power Soul. But I know what you mean. Prince can go from something really vital and urgent like Gold to Emancipation or The Truth to NPS or The Rainbow Children to Xpectation. He can either seem like he's bursting with ideas, committed to his beliefs and ready to kick ass or just a completely content middle-aged craftsman aging gracefully. Case in point: how could "The War" come out concurrently with NPS? I think the biggest thing with Prince is that it's been about 10 years since his career has had any kind of logical evolution. As soon as the name change came along and there wasn't any rhyme or reason as to whether an album fell under the Prince, , New Power Generation or whatever monicker, his work stopped making any kind of sense in terms of a creative arch.

Anxiety said:

Moi aussi.

GangstaFam said:

i don't think NPS is that horrible of an album, really. i just happen to think it has some of the most horrible SONGS he's ever written on it.

And with The Cure, they seem to go through an identity crisis every few years or so and then settle into a groove.

After Pornography, Robert was pulled in a million directions and a lot of what he came up with didn't seem very "Cure-like" at the time. I would say that he didn't truly find his way again until Head on the Door".

And that seemed like a new Cure that worked successfully for that album and Kiss Me. That's where they became more than just a cult band and really redefined their sound.

Again, things got wiggy around his 30th birthday, lots of fighting, lots of isolation, but he came up with "Disintegration". That sound and sensibility worked well for them 'til about '93.

That whole period from the mid to late 90's is when it seemed like they couldn't come back from the stylistic changes of alternative, the failure of Wild Mood Swings, disinterest in their own sound and style. Robert said himself that he really struggled with the notion of what The Cure was and hated the idea that they had a signature sound.

Bloodflowers, The Trilogy concert, the remasters, Join the Dots...all these things indicate that he really understands The Cure's place in music and what the fans want. I think even with this newest album, he really carried over the energy from Trilogy into the studio - that was his goal. I know it turned a lot of fans off, but I quite like that record. But the turmoil is clearly there again - band members being let go, fighting with fan sites, whatever's going on w/ Siouxsie and Severin (???), etc.

I guess time will tell whether the results off this shake-up will be good. It certainly won't be boring. For the most part, I think they're doing things right and have remained remarkably relevant and good at what they do.

Anxiety said:

I don't either. I quite like a good portion of it. It's just strange coming on the heels of "The Truth".

yeah, i can see all this. i think the most recent cure studio album was charming - there was something very human about it that i'd never heard on a cure album before - and it certainly wasn't unpleasant to listen to - but after a few listens, it just sounded....stale. i lost interest in it really fast, actually. plus, i'm sure it's easy to get sidetracked with all the amazing archival stuff released over the past couple of years.

Anxiety said:

Yes. Especially with something as delicious as "Faith" to digest.

GangstaFam said:

i think all the reissue stuff bowie released at the time kinda blinded me to the 'reality' album. it's only been now, when there's absolutely nothing coming from bowieland, that i've been able to fully appreciate it.

Anxiety said:

I'm happy.

I remember how unenthused you and King Sausage were. I love it when I have a breakthrough with a neglected or unwanted album.

Oh and I hope that new song from the Stealth soundtrack isn't any indication of what he's up to next.

I for one prefer the post-Disintegration work to albums that came before it.

Anxiety said:

I have yet to tire of "The Cure." It is certainly not on heavy rotation any more but I do give it a few spins each month. I think half of my attachment to it stems from the show last year, the memories from that and the reignition of my interest in the band thanks to the CD. Still, I quite like the last album...


I only have picked-up one of the reissues so far. Maybe I should use my bday certificate to the Fetus to pick-up another...

endorphin74 said:

I still quite like it too. The 6 extra tracks really kept me interested as well.

Which reissue you got so far?

GangstaFam said:

Three Imaginary Boys

I like it. It's fun cos my exposure to the early cure is mainly tied to singles or what I've overheard at Shawna's house. So it's a whole new world for me.

endorphin74 said:

Well, you're in for a treat then when you get the next 3. They're what The Cure built their cult on and easily 3 of their most important albums. I liken them to Prince's Dirty Mind/Controversy/1999 era. I think you'll love 'em.

With Porl back in the mix, how can they go wrong?

smokeverbs said:

Good question. We'll see I guess.

endorphin74 said:

oooh, you really need to AT LEAST get 'faith'...or 'pornography'....or, heck, get all three! it's really indispensible stuff, you'll be really happy with 'em.

Anxiety said:

I finally got 'Seventeen Seconds' yesterday. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I'll buy 'Faith' and 'Pornography' eventually. I'm taking it very slow.

sextonseven said:

The sound quality is suberb! It's easiest to tell the difference with Seventeen Seconds. The one that held my attention the longest out of this recent batch was Faith. It isn't my favorite, but it's been one of the biggest gainers for me lately.

sextonseven said:

that's my second least favorite of the reissues so far, which is not to say that i dislike it, and it's also not to say that i'm in any kind of majority. they're all good, but "faith" and "pornography" are the stars of the show so far, where i'm concerned.

Anxiety said:

Yeah, the 2nd disc is a little slight on that one. I wish they would've coughed up some more demos. It's too bad that a lot of the extra material from that album was destroyed.