Cure
Three Imaginary Boys

THE REVIEW

Three Imaginary Boys: a stunning debut from the Cure, year seventy-nine.
Three imaginary English boys still immersed in the sound between new-wave and late punk. A lot of English pop and a few dark hints. But damn, a terrifying debut, brilliant, fresh, we wish there were more like this (Massive Attack, Baustelle, Area and a few others).
Twelve tracks (and an unlisted thirteenth that’s instrumental only) for thirty-five minutes of music, urgency and frenzy but with style, some irony, and a dandy as a singer. A poetic dandy, sad, exaggerated, magical.

10.15 Saturday Night: a kickoff with a bang that escalates further, with a voice and lyrics so beautifully piercing, damn, so sharp. A power-pop stroke of genius followed by Accuracy, with a dark and inviting bass, a loose vocal, then Grinding Halt, perfect new-wave rhythm guitar and Robert Smith singing like a punk. Then two absolute gems: Another Day slow, almost dark, narcotic, liquid, amnesic, and Object the most punk and impetuous track on the record. The brief Subway Song is a seductive night song accompanied by jazz bass. Perhaps the least impressive track on the album is the cover of Hendrix's Foxy Lady with its tribal rock'n'roll.
Another excellent power-pop intuition is Meathook while the subsequent So What is a masterpiece bordering on noise with a mixture of spoken word, malice, and disenchantment. The choruses of Fire In Cairo and It's Not You are exceptional, effective distillations of rebellious pop. The title track, the last three minutes that close the album, is magnificent.

What a spectacular debut full of fireworks and how much spleen is scattered among these tracks...