Release Date: 15 February, 2000
Audio CD
Tracks
- Out of This World
- Watching Me Fall
- Where the Birds Always Sing
- Maybe Someday
- Last Day of Summer, The
- There Is No If...
- Loudest Sound, The
- 39
- Bloodflowers
- Bloodflowers
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Rating 4.5
A solid effort from start to finishAlthough Robert Smith's voice sounds shriller as opposed to the way it sounded ten years before, and the band flirts with self-parody, I believe that "Bloodflowers" is, overall, a strong consistent album which does not contain any weak track, though I don't think any particular song rises to the level of greatness. As pointed out by pretty much all the reviews, "Bloodflowers" marks a return to the serious melancholy side of the Cure, and is considered by Robert Smith to be the last part of a trilogy which includes "Pornography" and "Disintegration." It might have been logical to conclude that this would be the Cure's final album, based on the last song (the title track), but I think Smith really has no intention to call it quits for a long time.
"Blodflowers" contains familiar Cure themes. The eleven minute (too long) "Watching Me Fall" starts out: "I've been watching me fall for it seems like years, watching me grow small, I watch me disappear." The narrator (perhaps Smith, perhaps a fictional character) tries to seek solace form his desolation with a prostitute while in Tokyo, which, as expected, doesn't solve anything.
In the "Loudest Sound," lyrically reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel's "Dangling Conversation," Smith laments over a long-term couple that has nothing left to say to each other. "39," which, if I had to pick, is my favorite song on the album, tells us of a person (again, maybe it's Smith himself, but this is just speculation) who has spent all his passion in life -- "so the fire is almost out and there's nothing left to burn." The album ends, with the title track, on a haunting note: "You gave me flowers of love, always fade always die, I let fall flowers of blood." Pretty bleak, and it does sort of sound like a conclusion (imagine Smith as the "I," and his fans as the "You").
Of course, the Cure did indeed put out another album. While Robert Smith certainly has his moods like the rest of us, I get the feeling he's really not all that upset, especially now that his band is almost universally considered to be one of the most influential of the past 25 years.Worth the waitIM going to make this quick.Its NOT disintergration,Its NOT Seventeen seconds and it NOT wish.Its the cure with a fresh aproach dont understand what im talking about?Buythe album and find out.A Pleasant Surprise. (At Least.)OK, here's the deal. It's not Disintegration. However, in terms of overall workmanship it may be as close as you'll get (don't let the KMKMKM fans discourage you). I find it remarkable that Bloodflowers was produced just four years before the "self-titled" disaster. But that's another story.
The album opens with "Out of this World". The guitars (one of which is acoustic) overlap beautifully. The belated piano is also wonderful. In short, he reminds you that soon the song will be over and "We'll always have to go back to our real lives."
"Watching Me Fall" is one of the more dissapointing tracks. I doubt this has as much to do with the structure of the song as its unncessary length. Then again, some may prefer an eleven minute variety. Still a fair song on the whole.
"Where the Birds Always Sing" and "Maybe Someday" are the highlights of the album in my opinion. Much of the original Cure sound is retained here. Imagine Faith without the pain (if such a thing is possible). "Where the Birds Always Sing" often borders on sappy ("The world is neither fair nor unfair... The world is neither just nor unjust"), but this shouldn't discourage most. Again, Robert makes good use of the piano, adding a nice sporadic melody. The brief guitar solo will not dissapoint either. "Maybe Someday" is somewhere between charming and chilling. You decide.
"Coming Up" is fairly brash and often difficult on the ears. As expected, though, it will grow on you.
"The Last Day of Summer" is magnificent, with a strong foreshadowing introduction. The layers build into an impressive edifice which Robert destroys with ease: "Nothing is true." Surely most can relate to their "Last Day of Summer."
"There is No If" is the outlier on the album. The guitars are subdued for most of the song. This, in its own way, magnifies their effect when they do come into play. Lyrically it is something of a love song. (Imagine that!)
"The Loudest Sound" is slow and melodic. The words are few but powerful nonetheless. It is probably best to listen to with someone "side by side in silence." The more trials I give this song, the more I adore it.
The title track, "Bloodflowers," pales in comparison to some of the former tracks, but isn't lacking in anything particularly. The stereotypical "3/5" Cure song. That can be expected with the sheer volume that The Cure has produced.
Anyhow, If you're new to The Cure, I would suggest starting with Disintegration or Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Don't hesitate too long before picking this one up, though. |
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