the cure

When I was in high school, I dyed my hair four different shades of not-yellow. I was hoping for the Eminem look because he was just so cool. But nothing ever goes as planned.

Likewise, 4:13 Dream, the Cure's 13th album, was originally scheduled to be released on Sept. 13, with a single released on the 13th day of each of the four months leading up to the release. That didn't happen. But more importantly, when you're nearing 50 like the Cure's Robert Smith and your only gimmick is unlucky numbers, it may be time to reevaluate your career trajectory.

And if it's not obvious why the Cure needs a ploy, look no further than Dream. "It's Over" and "The Only One" pay a little too much tribute to The Cure's early '90s work and don't demonstrate the same energy that Smith exerted back in the day. They have even resorted to scouring their back catalog and rehashing songs the band knew weren't good in the first place, like "Sleep When I'm Dead."

Album opener "Underneath the Stars" is quite the fake-out. The first minute and a half of guitars leads one to believe that the intoxicating instrumentation will continue, but then Smith's vocals emerge. The lyrics are completely muddled under the music, so all that comes across is a whine and the occasional "...neath the stars."

U2 and the Rolling Stones have been around the block, but they too are only remembered for what they used to be, not what they are now. The same goes for The Cure. It's time for Robert Smith to stop being a weirdo and begin reminiscing about his life experiences, maybe write a memoir or something.