I am sure we have all heard one of The Cure’s songs, or a remake. The band has been around more than 30 years and has made hits such as “Love Song” and “Just Like Heaven.”

The moment I put on an album, I really try and listen for something that will catch my ear. This time all I heard was whining.

I feel as though the music the band made in the ’80s, such as “The Walk” or the “The Love Cats,” was happy and upbeat. This album to me seems very dark and it kind of hurt my ears.

Don’t get me wrong, I love The Cure. I am all about artistic innovation. However, I prefer to listen to an album where I can actually understand what the singer is saying. The tracks were just noisy.

I liked “The Reasons Why.” The melody and the beat really are catchy and happy, (pretty much the only one on the track). It is a song talking about why Robert Smith loves the person he does. The guitar is heard strongly and tunes out much of the Smith’s high pitches that sometimes make your eyes close shut from the noise.

“This. Here and Now. With You,” is pretty easy on the ears as well. The chorus is really easy to find yourself singing to. The sounds that really come to the ears are the amazing drums being played by Jason Cooper, who has been with the band for 13 years. His percussions really add to the sound of the song and the beat is actually quite melodious.

This album seems to be fairly connected to the band’s 1982 album “Pornography.” The group used that album to express its darker side, and this album truly expresses this side of the group.

When I was listening to “The Scream,” I wanted to scream out in horror because of how the noises made me think I was in some sort of Halloween movie. It really was that bad.

I am a lover, not a hater, but I don’t think I can handle the crazy, dark, high-pitched screaming songs that make me think of death.

The instruments of the album are, of course, grand. The artists are very irreplaceable and their music is indeed classic. However, with this album I think they were trying a little too hard and screaming came forth – something my ears and the ears of listeners may not be ready for.

Vanessa Johnson can be reached at [email protected]