The Cure – Three Imaginary Boys

Three Imaginary Boys, released on 8 May 1979 via Fiction Records, introduced The Cure as a band navigating the edges of punk, new wave, and pop sensibility. At just 18- or 19-years old, Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey, and Lol Tolhurst recorded it with producer Chris Parry in London, with much of the track listing and sequencing determined by the label. The result is a lean, idiosyncratic collection of songs marked by angular guitars, off-kilter rhythms, and Smith’s nascent but distinctive vocal delivery. Some of the material leans toward minimal post-punk (“Grinding Halt,” “10:15 Saturday Night”), while other tracks show moments of melody and emotional directness, hinting at deeper currents to come.

While Smith later expressed ambivalence about the album’s execution, Three Imaginary Boys has become a touchstone in The Cure’s canon for its raw energy and elemental character. The record’s quirky charm lies in its combination of immediacy and offbeat experimentation—not polished, but compelling in its youthful urgency. Over the years it has been reassessed as both an historical curiosity and a foundational text, foreshadowing the darkness, melodicism, and ambition that would come to define the band’s full trajectory.

Reviews

"Angular and lyrically abstract, it's strong points are in its utter simplicity." – AllMusic

“a debut that still stings with oddness, spontaneity, and a daring sense of identity.” – Pitchfork

“The Cure arrived as something wholly their own, leaning punkish, oddball, and quietly magnetic.” – Far Out Magazine

“The quirks and contradictions of this early record make it eternally intriguing to revisit.” – Stylus Magazine