🎵 The Cure – 4:13 Dream (2008): A Return to Form
4:13 Dream is the fifteenth studio album by English alternative rock band The Cure, released on 27 October 2008. The album continues the band’s blend of gothic atmospheres and pop sensibilities, offering a mix of introspective tracks, upbeat singles, and experimental sounds, marking their last studio release of the 2000s.
📀 Album Tracklist
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"Underneath the Stars"
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"The Only One"
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"Sleep When I'm Dead"
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"Freakshow"
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"The Perfect Boy"
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"The Hungry Ghost"
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"The Scream"
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"It's Over"
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"NY Trip"
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"Fifteen Years"
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"The Reason Is You"
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"Love Is the Devil"
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"Strange Attraction" (bonus track on some editions)
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"Jupiter Crash" (bonus track on some editions)
Note: Singles “The Only One” and “Freakshow” received moderate radio play, continuing the band’s mix of pop and gothic textures.
📝 Album Credits
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Artist: The Cure
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Release Date: 27 October 2008
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Label: Geffen Records, Fiction Records
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Producer: Robert Smith, Keith Uddin
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Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Gothic Rock
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Band Members on Album:
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Robert Smith – vocals, guitar, keyboards
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Simon Gallup – bass guitar
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Perry Bamonte – guitar, keyboards
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Jason Cooper – drums
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Roger O’Donnell – keyboards
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🎨 Cover Art Info
The album cover features a dreamy, abstract landscape in muted blues and grays, symbolizing the blend of melancholic and pop moods within the record. Robert Smith collaborated with his creative team to maintain a consistent aesthetic with The Cure’s atmospheric style.
💰 Commercial Performance
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Grossing: Moderate commercial performance; popular among long-time fans but less so in mainstream charts.
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Chart Position: #8 UK Albums Chart, #44 US Billboard 200.
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Critical Rating: Mixed to positive reviews; modern ratings generally 7.5–8/10 for variety, production, and nostalgia for classic Cure elements.
🌟 Popular Album Tracks
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"The Only One" – catchy, upbeat, and one of the more accessible singles
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"Freakshow" – playful yet dark, showcasing the band’s experimental side
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"Underneath the Stars" – atmospheric opener, reminiscent of classic Cure sound
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"The Perfect Boy" – melodic and gothic-infused, a fan favorite
🎉 Fun Facts
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4:13 Dream was originally intended to be a double album, but it was released as a single-disc with 13 tracks.
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The album balances upbeat, pop-oriented songs with darker, introspective material, reflecting the duality present in many Cure records.
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Robert Smith cited the album as a continuation of the emotional and atmospheric depth found on Bloodflowers (2000) and The Cure (2004).
🕵️ Did You Know?
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“The Only One” was used in promotional campaigns and received significant attention on alternative radio in Europe.
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The recording process focused on creating concise, hook-driven songs rather than long atmospheric tracks like Disintegration or Bloodflowers.
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The album reflects the band’s willingness to experiment with modern production while retaining their signature sound.
🔑 Trivia
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4:13 Dream marked the end of a nearly three-decade period of studio album releases from The Cure.
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Bonus tracks in certain editions included rare and previously unreleased material for collectors and fans.
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The album’s title refers to the total length of the album: 4 minutes and 13 seconds for the “dreamiest” track sequences, according to Robert Smith’s conceptual notes.
