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11. 4:13 Dream (2008): Most folks didn’t expect much from the Cure in 2008, but the band came up surprisingly strong with the loosest album since their debut. Shaking off the cobwebs of the self-titled record four years earlier, they sound younger here than they have in years. Once again we get Smith's favorite trick -- opening the record with its longest, saddest song -- though it can't keep 4:13 from being the most consistently upbeat Cure album since The Head On The Door. The goofball funk of "Freakshow" traces its lineage straight back to the manic thrills of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me rather than the stillborn experiments of Wild Mood Swings, which is a good thing. If anything, it’s the first time the band has had proper fun in ... 20 years? There’s an infectious energy to the playing: You can tell the band are enjoying the act of creation again, and Smith’s affectionate squeal is in top shape. If there’s a downside, it’s in the undercooked melodies; for all the sugar-coated fun, hardly anything sticks to your ribs. That said, it's a step in the right direction, offering hope for the upcoming 14th record.