The hype for The Cure is something that I could never understand.

As hard as I try, it’s hard for me to enjoy Robert Smith’s whining; I mean crooning. So, after all this time apart, the thought was maybe the band had some good songs prepared for their newest effort in four years, “4:13 Dream.” Robert Smith and crew, however, disappoint with an effort that is not even close to sufficing the wait.

The songs sound too lightweight, and for a band that covers as much emotional territory as The Cure, there does not seem to be anything worth writing home about here. It would be hard to not enjoy the guitar work on “Freakshow” and the cool ambience on “The Hungry Ghost.” Smith’s vocal style doesn’t get to me during these songs the way it usually does.

The rest of this album is take it or leave it, and I will most definitely leave it. The lyrics seem kind of a half-effort, and some of the songs are so close to enjoyable it is frustrating. They almost wrote an awesome song in “Sleep When I’m Dead,” but Smith’s vocals distract from the weird angular guitar work.

Honestly, when research showed that the song was originally written in 1985, it all made sense to me. There is a reason why that song did not make the cut back then. Now, time has tampered with the formula so much that a B-Side from the ‘80s sounds like a band pandering to a fan base who nowadays have kids that hate their parents just like they did.

I hope this album is the final nail in the whiny hearts and career of The Cure.