Just Like Heaven: A Tribute to the Cure

Various Artists

(American Laundromat)

All right, The Cure fills a rather large, shadowy, lovelorn pair of shoes. That didn't stop a bunch of people from trying.

For the most part, there are the usual tracks: "Just Like Heaven" (of course, since it's the title track), "Pictures of You," "Close to Me, "Friday I'm in Love." And a lot of the bands sort of have that twee breathy anemic vocal aesthetic that seems to say "I'm frail and sensitive, but also kind of bored" in one long stream of sighing words.

Still, for some reason, it just works. Even "Lovesong" doesn't suck as much as it did when 311 covered it for the soundtrack of that lame movie with Adam Sandler. There are even one or two pop punk covers for good measure.

As far as making out to it goes, just stick to the originals, especially after a long night at the 80's dance party.

For the most part, this is a sincere compilation of covers by groups from this side of the year 2000. It's definitely worth a listen through and perhaps as a time capsule piece to prove that this generation isn't entirely about irony and can still appreciate a good love song or an entire album of love songs.