Wish

by

The Cure

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There are really 2 kinds of Cure albums: The "thematic" and the "versatile." By thematic, I mean that several Cure albums (usually those preferred by the hardcore fans) tend to be more consistent (i.e., very few upbeat "pop" songs), slightly less daring instrumentally, and laden with darker, harsher lyrics. (Bloodflowers, Disintegration, Pornography and Faith). These are beautifully written albums, though, and can more easily be listened to over and over. "Wish" is of the second type. It is "versatile;" like Head on the Door, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, and Wild Mood Swings, it has much greater range, and like those albums, contains most of the hit singles that casual fans are familiar with from the radio. Of these albums, Wish clearly stands out as the best. The album contains such giddy songs as "Friday I'm in Love," "Wendy Time," and "High," and another which is probably the best song the Cure never released as a single, "Doing the Unstuck." This album was completed by one of the strongest of the ever-changing Cure lineups, and the guitar on this album is many, often and harsh. Songs like "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea" and "Open" are classics now for concert goers; "Cut" is a quickly-paced scathing commentary on failed relationships, and "Trust" is a beautiful opus of hope and optimism. Fans will also recognize "A Letter to Elise," a beautiful single that might have been accurately called "Pictures of You II." The album closes, appropriately, with "End"-a majestic and thickly layered guitar romp that was supposed to signal this album as the last by the Cure. Luckily for us, it wasn't. I would comfortably say that this is one of the three best albums by the Cure (along with Disintegration and Bloodflowers), and probably the one most likely to be labeled a masterpiece by both hardcore and casual Cure fans alike.

I know that following up an album like Disintegration must not have been a simple task. While Wish is pretty decent overall, it still doesn't match up to the previous album. Wish doesn't sound as dark as Disintegration. I don't think that Wish is very experimental or groundbreaking either. On the whole, it sounds quite conventional and mellow. All of the tunes are listenable though: the best ones would be "Friday I'm in Love," "High," and "Trust." The keyboard work on "Trust" is nice and "Friday I'm in Love" shares the same uplifting and happy vibes as "Just Like Heaven" from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Wish is a satisfying album, but there still aren't too many standouts. It does have some nice moments here and there. Worth a listen.