Robert Smith Explains His Dislike for The Cure’s ‘4:13 Dream’: ‘It Didn’t Meet My Expectations’

Smith Reflects on 4:13 Dream

Robert Smith has opened up about his relationship with The Cure’s “4:13 Dream”, saying he wasn’t happy with how things turned out.

• READ MORE: The Cure – ‘Songs from a Lost World’: A Masterful Meditation on Loss

The frontman recalled the 2008 record during a new interview with Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw, in which he celebrated the release of the band’s latest album, Songs Of A Lost World.

Released last month, Songs Of A Lost World was the long-awaited follow-up to 4:13 Dream and became The Cure’s first UK No. 1 album in 32 years.

Discontent with the Past

Reflecting on his relationship with 4:13 Dream nearly 16 years later, Smith admitted that the finished product didn’t live up to his original vision, in part because he wanted it to be much longer.

“To be honest, I tried to make a double album in 2008 and it was really weird,” he began. “There was a lot of stuff on it, instrumental stuff – and there was pressure on me to put it all into one album… I never felt happy about it.”

He continued, suggesting that he was tempted to restart work on the album to help finally realize the vision he originally had: “I’m a little irritated by it. At some point before I fall, I am determined…” he said.

“There are 13 songs from those sessions that were never released. It was a double album, and the whole idea of 4:13 Dream was that it was like a fever dream. As it turns out, this is not the case. This was far from what I wanted.

“I learned a lesson (from this) and maybe that’s why it took us so long to put out another album! I didn’t like the idea of submitting it on time. It was my own fault. I should have just ignored everyone. I was so disgusted by the process of being commodified and it really upset me.”

Back in 2008, the album received a four-star rating from the magazine NME who described it as “dark and strange, but entirely appropriate.”

“This album suggests a return to the popular music scene, if not war. “The Hungry Ghost is a disturbing political mystery, but in Trojan Horse style, it became a radio hit during the trip,” it said. “(It) embodies his vision: love is a part of darkness, as frightening as it is comforting. Forget the godfather of the gothic, Smith is a truth teller.”

Looking Forward

In an interview with Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw, Smith also reflected on the viral Rock and Roll Hall of Fame interview he gave in 2019 and revealed that he felt “bad” about it.

Previously he spoke with Radio X presenter John Kennedy as part of a special track-by-track playback of “Songs Of A Lost World” and spoke both about how quitting smoking has helped him maintain his voice and about the fact that the band is already working on a lot of new material.

For example, Smith not only revealed that the band “wrote a really catchy pop song” that they plan to release as a Christmas single but also added that they are actively working on plans for two more albums, one of which is already planned to become a “companion” to “Songs Of A Lost World”, while the third takes a different approach.

This wasn’t the first time Smith had hinted at new material: back in 2020, he told NME that The Cure were hard at work on “two new albums and an hour of noise.”

“Songs Of A Lost World” received a five-star review from the magazine NME which read: “Merciless? Yes, but in the dark there’s always enough heart and richness of sound to hold you in and put these songs up there with The Cure’s best.”

It was also included in NME‘s list of the best albums of the year, and the lead single “Alone” starred in NME‘s best songs of 2024. “Alone ends a 16-year drought and proves that The Cure have lost none of their magic. Featuring swirling synths and cinematic instrumentation combined with Robert Smith’s poignant lyricism and melodies, this epic is a masterpiece of ethereal beauty and raw emotional depth. “One of their most exciting songs to date.”

The band have since released a new EP, A Fragile Thing, featuring a live version and a remix by Robert Smith, and then unveiled a new live album of their London special.