Album Review

Oh yeah readers, you know what time it is! It’s another singles release by The Cure and due time for me, The Curefreak, to review the latest offering from my favorite band.

“The Perfect Boy,” including B-side track “Without You” is the final monthly release from the British legends who previously announced their anticipated album will now be available on October 13, 2008, instead of September as expected. What’s an additional month of waiting? The concept to release monthly tracks leading up to the big day has somewhat kept my anticipation in check. When I heard “The Perfect Boy” for the first time, I immediately thought the tracks just keep getting better so this album is going to be worth the wait.

The sound quality of the recording is just yummy candy to my ears, and it’s not overly produced, which can often irk me. Although Wild Mood Swings isn’t one of my favorite Cure albums, this particular song reminds me a little of the tracks, “Strange Attraction” and “Mint Car” from that 2000 release. Thankfully, for an old school fan of The Cure, it’s not entirely bubble gum pop-sounding though. Instead, they seem to have developed a nice balance between blow pops and their self-titled 2004 offering, produced by Ross Robinson, which was a stronger rock and roll sound (Go figure).

With “The Perfect Boy” the band manages to envelope a sweetly pleasant hook with sublime melodies and sincere lyrics. For me, this song builds into a continual progression sequence, which I really enjoy. I read that Robert finds this song dear to his heart, and once you hear the lyrics and feel the emotion intertwined in his vocals, it’s not surprising.

“You and me
Are the world
She said
Nothing else is real
The two of us
Is all there is
The rest
Is just a dream”

I’ve always been impressed by his ability to use such plain words and craft such meaningful songs. The lyrics to this track appear almost generic on paper, but to hear him sing them with such authentic feeling proves they’re far from that.

The flip track, “Without You,” isn’t really my favorite of the B-side, though. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good song, but there’s something about Robert’s vocals that seems stretched and unnatural to me. On the other hand, it remindes me of the Bloodflowers album, which I adored. So, I’m hoping it grows on me.

Overall, this month’s release fits the elevated standards of the other album teasers. It’s a sure sign that October 13th will be a good day for a fanatic like me. But, hell, we all know I’m completely biased anyway. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!

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