On an album almost devoid of the bright guitars and disguised pop hooks I love in Smith's compositions, A Strange Day is the closest The Cure comes to sounding like the version of the band I like most. Although the guitar is sparse, it remains in the foreground, while the vocal track is mostly presented clean with minimal effects. Thematically the song is sinister and about the end of the world, but it retains a melodic wistfulness that makes it stand out on this record.