WELL, what do you know, there is still a market for slow burn gothic gloom in a world seemingly dominated by K-pop and massive pop starlets such as Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo.
Songs of a Lost World is The Cure’s first new music in 16 years and, lo and behold, it hit no 1 on the UK Album Charts shortly after its Nov 1 release. But is it a mere exercise in nostalgia or can it compare to the band’s significant back catalogue. It was also one of the fastest selling albums of 2024, having at one point outsold the entire top 10 of the week combined in the UK. It also reached number one in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.
Is it a dark introspective work that recalls Disintegration and Wish, or does it have the radio-friendly pop sound that that established the band as steady chart staple in the 1980s?
Make no mistake, this long player is very much the dark, brooding variety with songs constantly pushing the six minute mark, with album closer End Song hitting the 10 minute mark.
This alone gives a clear indication where the band is at with its approach, favouring long passages of atmospheric gloom washing over listeners with its deep introspection.
Teaser single Alone is suitably dark and atmospheric, shrouding the listener with a thick blanket of gloom like dark, heavy drapes that cut out the sunlight. Far from being a depressive listen, it envelopes the listener in the comforts of solitude with Robert Smith’s vocals hitting all the right bitter sweet notes. Taking inspiration from a poem by Ernest Dawson titled Dregs, the tune is full of references to mortality and impermanence of one’s mortal coil.
Deep sense of melancholy continues on And Nothing is Forever made all the grander with the introduction of a string section that elevates the tune beyond the ordinary. A song about ties that withstand the passage of time, Smith sings it with the appropriate vigour of an elder statesman. No Lovecats-style playfulness here.
A Fragile Thing was also released as a single which sees the band re-visiting the soundscapes of its epic Disintegration album, while Drone: Nodrone sees it dipping its collective toe in heavier waters with its sweeping refrain backed by a gargantuan riff.
Completely written, conceived and produced by Smith, this album obviously carries his deep sense of pathos and grief, best exemplified by I Can Never Say Goodbye which was written about his brother’s passing.
While this is not a classic album, it does hold its own and is a worthy addition to the band’s discography. Maybe music fans just need a dollop of darkness to balance the multi-colour day glo of today’s pop stars. All said and done, this is a very welcome return for Robert Smith and co, underlining that this veteran outfit still has legs in it.
Songs of a Lost World is available to stream on all major platforms, Vinyl editions have been spotted with price tags upwards of RM180.
