Minimalist and cold on the surface, the music from the Cure sounds like Alice’s attic from Lewis Carroll in its imagery and in the construction of its melodies. But this first stripped-down attempt veering toward post-punk doesn’t yet prefigure the upcoming highly anthracite trilogy (the essential Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography). In the blend of metallic, saturated and nervous sounds of Three Imaginary Boys released in May 1979, Robert Smith evokes his phobias and his fears in an atypical way. Atypical like 10:15 Saturday Night, a genial pop song both disjointed and sharp, leaning on the crutch of improbable saturated guitars. Atypical again is the oddball cover of Foxy Lady from Hendrix, of whom Smith is an absolute fan. These are weird and strange beginnings, far from the huge success that this flagship band of the British New Wave will enjoy throughout the 80s and 90s… © Marc Zisman/Qobuz