It feels almost poetic that The Cure return with Songs of a Lost World after sixteen long years of absence, right at the height of political turmoil.
Whether that timing was planned or not, Robert Smith encapsulates the dread and despair felt by millions about the current state of the world. Gone are the lighthearted, poppy interjections like Just Like Heaven—the new album is unrelenting in its dread, reveling in the inevitability of death and the reality of aging.
Sonically, it is without a doubt a return to their most celebrated era of the ’80s. To me, this album feels like a “grown up” Cure album. If their most celebrated albums like Disintegration and Pornography can be seen as angsty twentyyear-olds, Songs Of A Lost World is an older uncle, who has outgrown the angst of his twenties and begun to come to terms with the complexities of life and inevitability of death.
In A Fragile Thing, Smith sings “I never thought I’d need to feel regret for all I never was / But all this time alone has left me hurt and sad and lost”. In Endsong, he sings “I’m outside in the dark wondering how I got so old”. There is no respite in the album, no lightening of the mood or attempt to alleviate the heaviness of the subjects.
In I Can Never Say Goodbye, Smith sings about the death of his brother, saying “Something wicked this way comes / To steal away my brother’s life / I can never say goodbye”. This song sits as the emotional precipice of the album, in my opinion. The songs move in succession, sometimes with several minutes of musical interlude to allow the lyrics to sink in. Sections of guitar, piano, or strings throughout are heavy and demanding, cementing the themes of dread and mourning that flow throughout.
In an industry so fueled by hit singles and TikTok clips, it feels like a deep slow breath to hear an album that is so clearly intended to be heard as a record in its entirety. Although reunion tours and returning albums are somewhat of a controversial topic in the music industry at the moment, I don’t think anyone could argue that Songs Of A Lost World is a “come-back cash-grab”. It is a moody, thoughtful, and emotional record, with Smith amending and editing the songs for years before its release. I hope this marks the start for a new era for The Cure, if this record is any indication of what is to come.