Before they honed their patented blend of dark melodies and gothic textures, the Cure made catchy, if angular, pop-punk. Maybe it was youthful exuberance or perhaps it was the fact that the band itself was not pulling all the strings, but the band's debut album is not only a very strong debut, but a near oddity in the Cure catalog. more poppy and representative of the times it was made that any other album during their long career.