More than a mere setup for their 1982 masterpiece Pornography, Faith served to push the Cure further away from their post-punk beginnings. By this point a lean and nervy three-piece, the group initially imagined the record as an exploration of the idea of belief. But after each of them suffered a series of personal tragedies — including the passing of close friends and family members — the record ended up turning notions of faith inside-out, gradually becoming more cynical and despairing. It's easy to detect the influence of Smith's idol Camus in his writing — "The Drowning Man" almost reads like a paraphrase of Camus' The Fall — and the album's monochromatic artwork is a good indication of the music inside. With few exceptions — the splendid, rubbery "Primary" being one of them — the songs are muted. "All Cats Are Grey" relies on a lone despondent organ and Smith's vocal in "The Funeral Party" crashes down like a waterfall. Everything here is cut from the same yellowed shroud, and the group finds their groove by slowing down, and every song feels like a despondent sigh.

That the Cure were becoming more and more fascinated by shadows was apparent. In the… read more »