Though it took The Cure over a decade to find the balance between their gothic sound and persuasive pop action, they discovered it. Pornography may have been an early, defining moment for the band (and it still serves as one of their best albums), the inconsistencies to follow, the interest in new wave music, felt like a slippery slope. Wish is the result of a persisting belief in the core sound, adapted to the modern-day pop suggestions. New wave still has its place on Wish, and it gives The Cure those brilliant hits, Letter to Elise and Friday I’m In Love. But like any great moment of creativity, especially the latter track, accidents in the studio lead to revolutionary moments. Wish is filled with this, an innovative and still charming album. Their languid response to their ever-changing spot in music history is heard through Wish, one of their most entertaining, exciting works.
An apt title for the opening song, Open still sounds fresh, as all great songs should. Robert Smith and the band pushed for a more fantastical feeling, a lighter mood to the instrumentals found in the latter half of this release, choices which have kept Wish ahead of the curve. The Cure may often repeat themselves on the numbness of life, the icy fear which grips Smith can be translated across every album, but here he hits a hot streak. Some of his finest lyrics here, from the sick of life Open to the upbeat yet ever fearful Friday I’m In Love. Instrumentally convincing and lyrically outstanding, that is what The Cure has always gunned for, and while they do not always hit it, Wish is a masterstroke on the same level as Disintegration. It is the emotive feel which keeps Wish alive. You can hear it in the guitar work from Perry Bamonte and Porl Thompson, and well-layered percussion from Boris Williams. Despite the layers, there is a sparse feeling, an emptiness which reflects the heart, to be heard on songs like Apart.
Those aching ballads hear Smith continue the successes of his writing style from Disintegration. He landed on a fine blur of the articulate heartbreaks and the inconsolable meltdowns, and continues with those themes on Wish. Strong results should be of no surprise. There is a spectacle made on some songs which threatens to tilt the balance away from gut-wrenching, lived-in experiences and the hopes of a fairytale-like future. From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea struggles with that balance, its wailing guitars and the piano gasping for air under these heavy percussion layers, the repeated “never, never,” from Smith forming a tone that The Cure had done well to steer away from on preceding albums. They find themselves detailing soppy occasions, and just about make it work. It is the band’s chance to inject some optimism into their gothic rock, and it works for most of these songs.
Wish is a softening of their style, though. Friday I’m In Love may be a mega hit for the band, but it does not define the gothic structure, nor redefine their pop-adjacent aims here. A lyrically simpler song than what follows, with soppy piano tones on Trust not better, but certainly a larger exploration of what The Cure were planning for this new sound. A beating heart keeps Wish alive, a sincerity which Smith explores with a lighter flourish than expected. Pangs of what the band are drifting from can be heard on the vicious Cut, and the ever-enduring expectations of Letter to Elise remains a high point. Wish may have been the last great album from The Cure in some time, but it feels overshadowed by what came before it. Wish can stand out on its own, and does so with a brilliant flair which still defines the band.
