LogFAQs > #953969287

229. The Cure Just Like Heaven (1987)
from the album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ASpBpT8bRQ

Key lyrics:
Why wont you ever know
That Im in love with you?
That Im in love with you?

Nothing will be funnier to me than the contrast between The Cures visual aesthetic and their popular hits. Just Like Heaven is among the prettiest tracks rock has given us, making key use of the piano and synthesizer. Few songs glisten like this opening, and they somehow sustain that bliss even as the lyrics take a tragic turn. While Robert Smiths vocals shine, the song greatly emphasizes the instruments, with the verses interrupted by a guitar solo and then a piano solo. Both are strikingly sweet and dreamy. The one small detail that always grips me is the way the piano begins to underline Smiths vocals at the end of each verse, which makes the piano solo all the more effective, like an extension of his emotions.

The contrast between image and sound is part of what makes this work. When someone dressed like Robert Smith comes up with a silly love song, you immediately believe he means it. This is sincerity without a hint of sentimentality or emotional manipulation. Despite being among the gothic rock crowd, Smith has an angelic voice. Though he expertly uses that voice to create anxious tension with tracks like A Forest or Lovesong, this straightforward presentation works wonders.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/