Wild Mood Swings in Bloomington, MN

After the relatively straightforward
pop
of
Wish
,
the Cure
moved back toward stranger, edgier territory with
Wild Mood Swings
. Actually, that's only part of the truth. As the title suggests, there's a vast array of textures and emotions on
, from the woozy
mariachi
lounge horns of
"The 13th"
to the perfect
"Mint Car"
and the monolithic dirge of
"Want."
In between the extremes,
Robert Smith
and
-- which now feature a radically reworked lineup, with several key players from
now missing -- explore some simpler territory, from contemplative acoustic numbers tinged with strings to swooning
neo-psychedelia
. But what ties it all together is conviction --
Smith
sounds more content than he ever has, but he sings with more passion than he has for a number of years. Of course,
haven't significantly changed their sound -- tinny synthesizers and guitar effects that haven't appeared on an album since 1988 are in abundance throughout the record -- but the variety of sounds and strength of performance offers enough surprises to make
more than just another
Cure
record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine