4:13 Dream certainly gets off to a promising start. The band's two default modes have always been slow misery and upbeat, happy-sad pop, and "Underneath the Stars" and "The Only One" are perfect encapsulations of those two sounds respectively. The former starts with one of those patented Cure intros � four times longer than it needs to be � and goes into a somber vocal melody.

The latter picks up the tempo, and would sound cheerful were it not for Robert Smith's characteristically dour singing. The change in mood isn't at all odd for this record � each song has its own personality here, and the instruments, the drums especially, adapt to every new situation.

Quality-wise, most of the subsequent tracks can't live up to the promise of the first two, but there are other standouts. "Sirensong," gentle and morose, is classic Cure. "This. Here and Now. With You" features a wonderfully soaring chorus, though the verses leave something to be desired, both lyrically and melodically. "The Scream" evokes a sense of skittish anxiety.

Others don't fare so well. "The Reasons Why" never really grabs the listener, and the lyrics are ridiculous ("I won't try to bring you down about my suicide"). "Freakshow" and "Sleep When I'm Dead" are fun and catchy, but they lack the negative energy that makes The Cure The Cure. "The Real Snow White" explores the grunge/psychedelic side of the band's sound, but not nearly as successfully as "Watching Me Fall" did eight years ago, and the breezy chorus doesn't fit the song at all. Smith's singing sounds too much like squealing for a lot of "The Hungry Ghost." "Switch" needs a catchier melody.

And of course, the band has to go out on a dramatic note, promising that "It's Over" ("Maybe Someday," from 2000's Bloodflowers, was also supposed to symbolize The Cure's end). Are they telling the truth this time? That is a pretty final title for a final song, and they are a bit past their peak. Still, there are enough glimpses of brilliance on 4:13 Dream to sucker fans in for one more record.