By the time of the album sessions for the Cure’s third full-length, the group had reverted to being a trio while the moodier aspects of Seventeen Seconds had turned into the driving focus for Robert Smith, Simon Gallup and Lol Tolhurst. Bursts of sudden energy like the bass-driven “Primary” aside, the album embraces an atmospheric chill and collapse, ranging from the ruined beauty of “The Funeral Party” and the contemplative “All Cats are Grey” to the high drama of “The Drowning Man.”