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
Wild Mood Swings, from the woozy mariachi lounge horns of "The 13th" to the perfect pop of "Mint Car" and the monolithic dirge of "Want." In between the extremes,
Robert Smith and
the Cure -- which now feature a radically reworked lineup, with several key players from
Wish 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,
the Cure 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
Wild Mood Swings more than just another
Cure record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine