4:13 Dream may open with the doomed romanticism of "Underneath the Stars," but that slow-crawling mini-epic is a feint, momentarily disguising how this is
the Cure's poppiest album since 1992's
Wish. But despite the preponderance of sprightly tempos and singsong hooks, nothing about
4:13 Dream feels especially light, perhaps because
Robert Smith chooses to pair these songs with a heavy dose of angst. On the "The Reasons Why," the catchiest tune here,
Smith sings about suicide with no trace of irony. The pristine production emphasizes
Smith's stylized mannerisms -- nowhere more so than on "The Only One," where his caterwauls are clearly articulated. Buried in the back of
4:13 Dream are two songs with hooks that nevertheless dig underneath the skin: "The Perfect Boy" and "This. Here and Now. With You." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine