These days, hearing the words “Eighties” and “Revival” anywhere near each other as a description for a new band is about as commonplace as the yawn it’s sure to evoke. The problem isn’t with mining a long gone decade for inspiration, but how unimaginative the pillaging has become. Listening to these groups, one might assume that alternative in the Eighties was purely synth pop, new wave, and post-punk. But what about noise rock? What about shoegaze? Dream pop? A Place to Bury Strangers answers to these, with what just might be the best Post-Punk Revival record since Interpol’s debut.

This cover is so hardcore, even the bandmembers have no idea what it is.

Exploding Head, the band’s second effort, reminds us what real revival is. It’s not about emanating the sounds of your favorite bands; it’s about adding your own ideas and building up on them. Of course, A Place to Bury Strangers makes no secret about their influences, but the sound produced is theirs alone. While My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain are obvious touchstones, neither group has ever produced anything this visceral, this brutal.

Opener It Is Nothing lets us know right away that the reputation this band has for being obscenely loud and aggressive has been well earned. The warbled introductory guitar quickly leads into a flurry of distortion and stuttering drums, which should not sound as fast as they do with the way drummer Jay Space hammers on his snare. The proverbial icing on the cake is when Oliver Ackermann’s half soothing, half menacing vocals  are crooned over the cacophony. And they’re just getting started.

The very wisely chosen singles, In Your Heart and Keep Slipping Away, show particularly well that it’s not just their aggression, their energy, the fact that they are so effortlessly and relentlessly loud, but that they are downright melodious as well. The hooks are incredible; and not only are they good, they’re sold perfectly. If Robert Smith heard the verses in these two songs, he’d be kicking himself for not having come up with them first.

Following the latter track is Ego Death, a slow burning and brooding piece with trudging, crushing distortion and a  thumping beat. Remember those dark mid-nineties movies (The Crow, Seven, and Strange Days come to mind) with the obligatory scene in a club, featuring an appropriately dark band? This song conjures that perfectly – only unflinchingly heavier and forceful. It truly belongs on the soundtrack to a good cyberpunk movie… though that could easily just be me.

Another great attribute is how well Ackermann is able to sell his vocals over all the noise. Perfect example: On the fourth cut Deadbeat, Ackermann drearily moans, “Why/What the fuck/Don’t play with my heart,” and it doesn’t sound trite, forced, or even whiny. What is most notable though, is that his presence is able to front the talents of Space and bassist Jono MOFO. On the outstanding Smile When You Smile, the rhythm section is in top form all throughout; the ferocious beat and MOFO’s bass, which quite frankly overpowers Ackermann’s guitar a number of times could easily overwhelm a frontman, but his voice is easily able to take command.

Exploding Head is sharp as a tack, masterfully pairing the group’s pop sensibility with their raucous onslaught; a damn strong album from a band with a ton of promise.

Call me daft if you wish, but Robert Smith is a hero. Why? Because he is one of the few musicians from my childhood to withstand the test of time, whilst keeping his persona intact. And I’ve always admired the celebs that have an amazing career and life, while being able to (mostly) keep out of the spotlight of shame.

If you haven’t figured out by now who Robert Smith is, he’s the lead singer of the British band The Cure. Remember them from the 80’s? They are the ones responsible for bringing us such delightful songs as Close to Me, Boys Don’t Cry, Disintegration, Friday I’m in Love, Lovesong (yeah 311 didn’t write that one folks),Why Can’t I Be With You?, Lullaby, Fascination Street, and The Love Cats… The latter four being my favorites of long time past.

Smith is the only constant member of the band, since its inception in 1976. This time around though, the line-up consists of Robert Smith on the mic (also the guitar, bass and keyboards when needed), Simon Gallup (another musical hero of mine) on bass, Porl Thompson on Guitar, and Jason Cooper on the drums. The boys from Crawley, England released their 13^th studio album, in 2008 entitled 4:13 Dream.

Apparently, 4:13 Dream was originally intended to be a two-disc album, having a whopping 33 songs recorded songs for the release. Robert Smith said that this album would mostly comprise the upbeat songs, and that the darker songs would maybe be released on another album. This is good for two reasons I believe: First, I believe that there is music for every mood, and that The Cure has done a surprisingly good job at making me feel more upbeat (take The Love Cats for instance on the album Japanese Whispers), and second because this means that we have not seen the end of The Cure.

Through the bands MySpace page, the band announced that in the four months before the album was set to be released, every thirteenth day of the month, a single would be released. This would coincide with the album’s title. Unfortunately, the album was pushed back from September 13^th, to October 28^th by Geffen Records, killing the amazing idea. But to make up for this, on September 13^th, the band released the EP Hypnagogic States. This EP was a cd of the remixes of the four singles released in the previous months.

From left to right: Gallup, Cooper, Thompson, and Smith...with the lipstick..

Anywho, I’ll end my usual digression and get down to the nitty. Here’s what I can say about the album from a general standpoint: Old fans of The Cure will feel right at home, as the band keeps its same vibe of calm but complicated, while showcasing that the band hasn’t stopped moving forward since its creation almost 30 years ago. Robert Smith still has that wild singing structure that hasn’t made a compromise for, despite the flak he may have gotten over the years for it.

For the new listeners, I can say that this is as good a time as any to get into The Cure, and still feel like you are a fan of times past. Why you say? According to Robert, 4:13 Dream is chock full of songs that were written over a decade ago, that didn’t make the cut for other albums at the time (such as Sleep When I’m Dead, originally written for the album, The Head on the Door in 1985). This way you can feel at least semi nostalgic, and not lie to you and your friends when you claim “Yeah I’m a fan of their old stuff too”.

Some people feel as if this cd was taking the safe road in its production, but I think this is just as Cure-ish as anything. As my fellow writer Gunfart said, “So this album is basically The Head on the Door part 2”. The production seemed much better than past albums in my opinion, probably because I’m used to listening to the 80’s songs of theirs, and frankly, recording technology has advanced just a bit.

As far as my favorite tracks are concerned, the intro track Underneath the Stars was amazing, with pure instrumentals for the first two minutes. The guitar on track 7, The Hungry Ghost was very comfortable for me, and carries the song beautifully. Track 11, Sleep When I’m Dead may have been written for an album over 20 years ago, but it’s right at home on this album. I didn’t know it was an old song until after I was in love with it, but my feelings have not strayed. The 12^th track on the album, Scream, was interesting, because I felt like it had a Middle Eastern tone in it. Weird I know, but I was diggin’ it and don’t disagree. Still though, the song that made this album one of the best of the year for me is track 8, called Switch. For me, it managed to be upbeat, dark, and beautiful all the same time. The lyrics are some of the best Robert has written, and are the definition of feeling, without leaving you asking what it’s about. Listen for the subtle piano played by Smith throughout the song, to remind you that as “sick of being alone with himself” as Robert is, the song is something I don’t plan on being sick of anytime soon.

4:13 Dream is what making a legacy is all about. Old bands like The Cure are keeping it more fresh and exciting than the failed marriages of Southern California, with twice the work. Go grab this album; it may very well save you. You can thank me later.

~Flak