Robert Smith on why he dislikes The Cure’s ‘4:13 Dream’: “It was nowhere near what I wanted it to be” 

Robert Smith has opened up about his relationship with The Cure‘s ‘4:13 Dream’, saying that he isn’t a fan of how it turned out.

• READ MORE: The Cure – ‘Songs Of A Lost World’: a masterful reflection on loss

The frontman looked back at the 2008 record during a new interview with Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw, in which he celebrated the release of the band’s latest LP, ‘Songs Of A Lost World’.

Released last month, ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ marked the long-awaited follow-up to ‘4:13 Dream’ and saw The Cure bag their first Number One album in the UK in 32 years.

Reflecting on his relationship with ‘4:13 Dream’ nearly 16 years on, Smith revealed that the finished product didn’t match the initial vision he had, partly because he wanted it to be much longer.

“If I’m really honest I was trying to make an album in 2008 which was a double album and it was really odd,” he began. “It had all kinds of stuff on it, instrumental stuff – and I was pressured into reducing it all down into a single album… I have never felt happy about it. “

He continued, suggesting that he has been tempted to resume work on the album to help finally capture the vision he initially had “I bristle a little bit about it. At some point, before I fall over, I’m determined…” he said.

“There are 13 songs from those sessions that never got released. It was a double album and the whole idea of ‘4:13 Dream’ was that it was like a fever dream. As it turned out, it wasn’t. It was nowhere near what I wanted it to be.

“I learnt a lesson [from that], and maybe that’s why we didn’t make another album for such a long time! I hated the idea of delivering it to the deadline. It was my own fault. I should’ve just ignored everyone. I was so sickened by the process of [being] commodified, and it really did upset me a lot.”

Back in 2008, the record was given a four-star review by NME, which described it as “dark and weird, but perfectly apt”.

“This album suggests a re-engagement with the popular music scene, if not an act of war. ‘The Hungry Ghost’ is a disturbed political mystery, but fitted up Trojan Horse-style as a drivetime radio hit,” it read. “[It] encapsulates his vision: love is part of the darkness, as frightening as it is comforting. Forget the godfather of goth stuff, Smith is a teller of truths.”

The interview with Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw also saw Smith reflect on the viral Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame interview he did in 2019, revealing that he “felt bad” about it.

Before then, he spoke to Radio X host John Kennedy as part of a special track-by-track playback of ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ and spoke both about how quitting smoking helped him preserve his voice, and how the band are already sitting on a lot of new material.

For example, Smith not only revealed that the band have “written a really catchy pop song” that they are contemplating releasing as a Christmas single, but he also added that they were well underway with plans for two more albums – one of which is set to be a “companion piece” to ‘Songs Of A Lost World’, while the third takes a different approach.

This wasn’t the first time that Smith hinted at new material either, as back in 2020 he told NME that The Cure were hard at work on “two new albums and an hour of noise”.

‘Songs Of A Lost World’ was given a five-star review by NME, which read: “Merciless? Yes, but there’s always enough heart in the darkness and opulence in the sound to hold you and place these songs alongside The Cure’s finest.”

It was also included in NME’s list of Best Albums Of The Year, while lead single ‘Alone’ starred in NME’s Best Songs Of 2024. “‘Alone’ ended a 16-year drought and proved The Cure haven’t lost any of their magic. Through swirling synths and cinematic instrumentation, paired with Robert Smith’s poignant lyricism and melodies, this epic is a masterwork of ethereal beauty and raw emotional depth,” the latter read. “One of their most captivating songs to date.”

Since then, the band have released the new ‘A Fragile Thing’ EP featuring a live version and a Robert Smith remix, before sharing a new live album of their special London launch gig.

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