At the beginning of the month, The Cure released their highly anticipated album, Songs Of A Lost World after a 16-year drought since their 2008 album 4:13 Dream. The album was finally released after years of being teased and mentioned by the band’s front-man, Robert Smith, who’s been with the band since its founding in 1979. It also comes after their “Shows Of A Lost World” tour which is odd timing but it built excitement for many fans.
This new album comes after Smith lost his brother and parents. He draws experiences of life and loss in this album while also facing the harsh fact of life that we’re all getting older. And while entering one of the last chapters of his life, Smith is still making the same beautiful, melancholic, heart-wrenching songs he’s known for.
Gone are the pop hits that The Cure is known for throwing in the mix, such as “Just Like Heaven” and “Boys Don’t Cry”. This newest album is a rough cut from the slab of the band’s earlier albums, most notably their album Disintegration. Fans of Disintegration will absolutely love the heavy distorted bass and synthesizer that kicks off Songs Of A Lost World in its first track “Alone”. In traditional The Cure fashion, the song starts with a beautiful 3-minute intro before Smith’s echoing voice chimes in with the words “This is the end of every song we sing.” This song is very heavy on the themes of death while adapting lyrics from the Victorian poet, Ernest Dowson. The song ends with the repeated lyrics “Where did it go” to signify the time in Smith’s life as it slowly but surely slips away from his grasp.
The next track in the album is a beautiful ballad about growing old and not worrying about it as long as you have someone growing old with you. This song is clearly about Smith’s wife, Mary Poole, who has been with Smith since he was 14 years old. Smith writes heart-tugging lyrics that perfectly reflect the feeling of loving someone so much that even as you grow old, the love still feels the same. “I know that my world is grown old / But it doesn’t really matter if you say we’ll be together / If you promise you’ll be with me in the end”
It’s hard to pick favorites from this album since Smith worked so hard to create a world that flows together seamlessly. Each song is a part of the story curated by Smith to convey the heartbreak and loss he has experienced in his later life. I’m a sucker for The Cure’s heavier songs so when I listened to “Warsong” I was blown away. It’s the shortest song on the album but it’s filled perfectly with heavy bass, haunting lyrics about how hate never brings any good, and a disturbingly alluring guitar solo playing in the background for a large portion of the song.
“Something wicked this way comes to steal away my brother’s life / Something wicked this way comes, I can never say goodbye.” When I attended the “Shows Of A Lost World” tour for two shows, I had the pleasure of hearing the enchanting sorrow of the track “I Can Never Say Goodbye”. This track is directly about Smith’s brother and how he was affected by his death. “I wrote this song a lot of different ways, until I hit on a very simple narrative of what actually happened on the night he died.” Smith explained.
“Endsong” is a haunting 10-minute piece (the second longest in The Cure’s discography) that serves as an ethereal curtain call to this atmospheric, emotionally inspired, melancholic album about realizing mortality “And I’m outside in the dark, wondering how I got so old.” The song opens with tight, reserved drums and synth but builds upon those with layers and layers of instruments for six-and-a-half-minutes until Smith’s voice emerges. Smith touches on the end of life and losing hope in this song with the chorus repeating “It’s all gone, it’s all gone, nothing left of all I loved.”
The final track is a harrowing conclusion to yet another world Robert Smith has created. The album encapsulates the feelings of loss, isolation, and mortality salience. This album is a must-listen for any long-time fans of The Cure. Some of the “Greatest Hits” fans would find that there isn’t an uptempo pop song like fans are used to, however, it’s still one of the most elegantly sorrowful albums I’ve ever heard and I believe if you like The Cure and are a fan of “Disintegration” this album is a must listen.
