The Cure: Head On The Door - 1985

This was, without any shadow of a doubt, The Cure's most varied, appealing and pleasant album thus far, featuring a myriad of instrumental sounds, influences and hooks. Yes, hooks. That old misery seemed a long way away now, despite Robert Smith's still mournful vocals. Indie guitar sounds were becoming popular and there is quite a lot of that to be found on here. 

Inbetween Days is very Smiths-influenced in its sad but tuneful indie guitar rock style while Kyoto Song taps into the contemporary trend for Japanese sounds, at the forefront of which was, unsurprisingly, Japan. Six Different Ways almost sounds Elizabethan in places with its flute sound. 

The Blood is acoustically most attractive too. Push is one of those Cure tracks where the intro lasts about three minutes, but it has a great jangly, guitar-powered vibe to it. The Baby Screams is a rocking and vibrant as the band had ever got, A Night Like This features a saxophone and the Prince-esque (yes) Close To Me has handclaps on it! 

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