Disintegration (studio album) by The Cure

A dark, foreboding masterpiece that is consistently fantastic for the entire run time. The Cure know how to make a brilliant atmosphere and this record is the pinnacle of that for the group. It is pessimistic, moody and extremely over powering. The music almost forces you to become introspective with every listen making me ponder everything I have ever known even though I have listened to it countless times. There is truly nothing better in my opinion than sitting alone in a pitch black room with the sound of this record playing in the background and just getting completely lost in the gloom and despair. The album opens with Plainsong which perfectly introduces us to The Cure's sound with a grand and beautiful instrumental display that will hook you straight away. Then on the other end of the album, Untitled closes the release on a much darker note with about a 3 minute instrumental conclusion that gives you enough time to truly take in what you experienced. Everything in the middle of the bookends are just as phenomenal as well with the obvious huge hits being absolute masterpieces. The ones that are a little less well known are just as good as the big songs as well with the run of tracks 8-10 being a personal highlight. I really could pick out any song on this album and it would be amazing as the music is just that consistent on here with not a single song letting it down. This is primarily due to the outstanding instrumental work across the whole group as well as the lyrical and vocal contributions from Robert Smith. The lyrics on here might not be his darkest, as that belongs to Pornography, but they surely are melancholic and every track deserves attention for its words. He truly is a genius with his writing and if you have never looked into his lyrics then you really should as he is in my opinion the greatest song writer of all time. Finally, we have his delivery which suits the style and atmosphere perfectly creating a cohesive and consistent masterpiece that is a monument to how good records can be. Overall, not only is this album packed full of quality from the start right up to the very end but it is also one of the most important releases I have ever come across as it has changed my life completely which is a testament to just how outstanding it is.

The absolute benchmark for the growth of shoegaze and dream pop of the following years,
the peak of drama of a specific musical era, there will be no album like Disintegration in the future. Pure essence of despair and expressive power

From Brandon8 12/23/2022 04:10

It all came together on this album and they produced a masterpiece. Plain Song, Pictures of You, Lovesong, Lullaby and Fascination Street are my favorites and the rest is strong throughout.

Solid

From lleon79 06/10/2022 03:04

After so many years, still my favorite album of all time.

Very dark and brooding but still has elements where the desire to have songs still have catchy ear-wiggy moments is high. It sparkles and shimmers throughout and feels like an experience especially when listened to alone where your mind can let you explore the darkest corners of your mind guided by the album.

Their masterpiece in terms of songwritting and instrumentation, but the vocals sound a bit too affected in a way that takes something away from the otherwise heartfelt emotions of the song. Ig I prefer earlier The Cure in terms of vocals, but this is still objectively their masterpiece.

The drums are thin and repetitive. The guitar and synth generally get stuck in a rut. Smith’s voice is pitchy and irritating.

But…the overall combination kind of works? I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan of Brit Pop, but this record flows well and tends not to drag too bad.

From Jboy56 02/16/2022 09:13

Massive album with huge songs. Classic stuff

I just can't get in to this as an album, despite its critical acclaim. It's a bit too long for me. But it contains some great songs. Lullaby is probably my second favourite Cure song behind Just Like Heaven, Lovesong and Fascination Street are good too.