Disintegration (Review)
Hi, Hey, Hello. ItzSonny and...THE CURE. Yes, I had to put it all in CAPS because it's THE CURE, a band I have been dying to finally delve into their music, man. Ever since I watched one of my favorite shows that heavily utilized their music because of the culture of it, I've been hooked on their alternative new wave gothic punk aesthetic, and now it's finally time for me to check a full record from them, yet what better way to check one out then on one of their most iconic albums that is truly a trip to endure, let's get into it, as this is my album review of The Cure's "Disintegration", let's listen.
BACKGROUND
The band of The Cure is composed of members: (Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson, Boris Williams, & Lol Tolhurst). The band have moved on up in the world of music from half-empty gigs at low-level pubs in England to packed stadiums in Los Angeles, yet this lifestyle would take a hold on them. After the release of the 1987 album, "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me", and a sold-out world tour, friction was brewing amongst the band with Tolhurst's increasing alcoholism, teasing towards Lol, the hiring of a new Keyboardist (Roger O'Donnell), and Smith dealing with the side effects of pop stardom, moving to West London with his fiancée, falling into LSD and depression, deciding the group needed to get back to their former darker roots, getting to working on their next record, and releasing what is now known as "Disintegration."
REVIEW
"Plainsong"
I really adore this opener, it's quite solid, literally the sounds of a dream, it doesn't do much, yet fulfills its assignment of being the opening song to this album, it sets in the depressive dreamy mood and tone, atmospheric illusional production, and soft vocals from Smith, and the lyricism detailing how it feels like the end of the world, yet a woman's smile can do so much to make everything feel right, it does a lot, and also not a lot which is just right to set the album to the punch.
"Pictures of You"
Now this track has truly pulled me in, I love how this is a song for people who lie on their beds and think about the person that got away kind of thoughtfulness, the lyricism and delivery of it really pulls you in with just how sad it all is, yet really the progression goes so HARD and HEAVY in its flow, the guitar progression and bass really drown you into it with not just it feeling dreamy, yet sounding just like what that feeling is, it's not entirely depressive, yet it's entirely sentimental in that tone to make this a real song classic.
"Closedown"
God the last section and that guitar progression is ascending me, yet I see this track though really great as a 1.5 version of the prior song as it essentially says the same stuff, though well-delivered, only with a more mellow mood to it all, still very solid, yet a more minimal song across the album.
"Lovesong"
Classic. Simple lyrics, passionate and sincere delivery, hard as hell instrumentation, there's nothing much I have to say, this is a definitive sad love rock song, you already know it, boom, there, done.
"Last Dance"
A very great song that I believe does things quite different, as I feel this is the one where the central thematic is starting to progress, seemingly as now it's a reunion this time lyrically, yet still a sense of nervousness of losing it again that is quite emotionally compelling and the sound emulates that feeling beautifully, with a slow mid-tempo heavy melody that is repetitious and swimming in its tone to make this a quite captivating track.
"Lullaby"
Nah, you got me fucked up, why this lyricism high-key got me terrified, the description just got me horrifically mortified, and yet the composition goes hard for no reason, with the violin, and clicking tone that makes this one of the most fascinating tracks off this album because this is pure goth at its core, it's honestly scary, yet still a jam to listen to, it's just so whispery and feels like something is watching you as you listen to, shit is ripped straight out of a horror novel with that level of writing.
"Fascination Street"
I think this is a really solid song, I find it lyrically solid, nothing sticks out to me personally, though I appreciate it's more brief and less straightforward approach, it's really the long build-up that has been in other songs, yet here it's really long and yet I enjoy it and it still carries out to the end, the more punk beaming bassline, circling and stringy progression that makes this one of the more musically satisfying tracks across the album thus far.
"Prayers for Rain"
One of the definitive listen whilst in the rain songs because no duh it's obvious, the production really captures that essence, the more soft slower percussion and tone really drag on in the best way to make you feel this effectiveness, really feel like you're standing out there, it's nor a sad or raw feeling, it's just a culmination and I think this is one of the better of the mood-based singles on this album.
"The Same Deep Water as You"
Contender for best song off this album, if I don't praise the others more than I did this, you already know. I feel like I'm drowning while listening to this or in a trance and I mean that in a highly acclaimed manner, this 9-minute masterpiece makes you fall deeply into the vast oceans with a soul-bending trip in its soundscape, the perfectly on-beat striking bassline and brightening tone with the again soft vocals from Smith to make this a track that truly sends you to sleep in the best way.
"Disintegration"
This is what the sound of being process into being cremated sounds like cause oh my lord, I think this and the prior song just entered a whole new level for this album and it was already pretty PEAK, like holy shit, it does everything I adored about the last song, yet entirely different, having a more mid-tempo, slowly faster, yet still steady and pummeling flow to the overall composition and even lyrically it's catch up with how they both know it was always going to end like this in a sad manner, like this album just made a complete 180 turn.
"Homesick"
Dude, what is going on? This album just entered ANOTHER LEVEL, this song too is spectacular, when it ended, I felt like I just woke up from a trance just like the last song, this is FIRE, it feels the most dreamy out of the prior two songs, feeling like a swirling constantly moving ride I'm in within this blurry visually distinctive dream, eyes closed, and everything around me in motion, that's what the soundscape evokes me in, like wow dude, this closer is going to HIT.
"Untitled"
Wow, what a closer, again like every other track on this album, this may just be the best one, I mean it, it's just such a perfect bittersweet closer, the writing hits like a motherfucker emotionally, still delivered with the same charismatically mundane delivery from Smith, the present drums, the heavy chord progression, the moodily soothing bassline, and everything in-between, I also may have heard this song before somewhere, I'm not sure, my brain cells just communicated and think I may have heard this melody before and I thoroughly enjoy it, maybe I'm being biased because of that fact, yet regardless, I really adore this song and think it's this album's best and ultimate closer.
CONCLUSION
What can I say, I'll be honestly until the last four tracks, I didn't hate this album, not for one bit, it was never even slow for me, too slow honestly, I love my slow emotionally moody goth rock music, yet it went from being a great, totally see the praise, adore this kind of album, it went from that to a god-tier album just from the last four tracks and it's only because the last four were longer funnily enough, I generally love this album, it has to be one of the most consistent albums I've ever heard, every song is honestly the exact same in composition, yet so entirely different in execution, the long build-up, repetitious melody throughout, soft mundane vocals from Smith, gravitating chord progression, and everything else in-between to make this a definitive punk goth album, especially if you're part of 80s culture, this is a mandatory album from that era regardless of your genre tastes and I can totally vibe with The Cure, they take it slow, yet never easy, it's always the most perfectly sad music to listen to when you need it the most and that's all I can say. It's been Sonny and so long, farewell, and goodbye.
“Feeling the monster climb deeper inside of me
Feeling him gnawing my heart away hungrily
I’ll never lose this pain
Never dream of you again”
