By Roman Soto
Have you ever pressed shuffle on your playlist, only to have the repetitive nature of the unchanging musical genre play continuously on your listening device? Well, my fellow music lovers, you’ve just stumbled upon a place to expand your musical taste. Welcome to Roman’s Empire, your new favorite music column. My job here is to persuade you to add the suggested artist to your playlist. Here, we delve into some of music’s most captivating artists from all over the world. It’s simple: find a comfortable chair and prepare to expand your musical knowledge. Today, we dive into the brilliant elements that frame The Cure’s dazzling portrait.
You know them…you adore them, and recently, they’ve been making a massive comeback into teenagers’ music playlists: The Cure! Formed in Crawley, England, in 1976, future goth icon Robert Smith and schoolmate Lol Tolhurst founded the band and paved the way for many other English groups, such as Depeche Mode and Siouxsie and the Banshees, in the early 1980s’ alternative synth-pop scene. Aurally categorized by the infamous eccentric use of the synth keyboard in the eighties, the stark contrast and sudden switch from punk to synth pop swept the world. Pioneers of the genre, including Talking Heads, Blondie, and Ramones, set a smooth transition from the aggressive nature of punk to the quirkiness of synth.
In 1979, The Cure released their debut album, Three Imaginary Boys. Initially, the relatively unpopular record stood recognized only as a cult hit shadowed by English synth rock hits such as “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles and Gary Numan’s “Cars.” However, it wasn’t until after the release of the hit single “Boys Don’t Cry” that they experienced success within their own country; another eight years would pass before they finally achieved global commercial success with the release of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me in 1987. Since the beginning, The Cure has produced some of the most aesthetically pleasing guitar sounds known to man, from the eccentric melody of “Just Like Heaven” to the dim yet hauntingly beautiful main riff of “Lullaby.” The Cure perfectly maneuvers melodic symphonies with hints of a darker tone. Mysterious, yet addictive, the band’s reign at the top of the goth alternative world stretched into the early 2000s and 2010s. Here are some of my top song recommendations:
- “Mint Car”
- “Lullaby”
- “Just Like Heaven”
- “Boys Don’t Cry”
- “Let’s Go To Bed”