Review: The Cure, ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ – Their First LP In 16 Years – A Stunning, Brilliant Album

“This is the end of every song that we sing
The fire burned out to ash, and the stars grown dim with tears” – The Cure, “Alone”

The Cure have returned after 16 years and delivered a brand new album, Songs Of A Lost World. And when I say “delivered,” I mean they’ve delivered what might be the album of the year. And in 2024 that’s saying a lot. When I think of all the bands who released a “return to form” kind of album this year there are quite a few: Green Day, Jack White, Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins. SoaLW was purportedly completed five years ago and the Cure have been playing these songs live for quite some time. Maybe that gestation time allowed Robert Smith to perfect this music. I don’t know what it is with bands taking decades to make new music – we had David Gilmour with a 9 year gap between albums, the Stones last year with 18 years before Hackney Diamonds, and of course Peter Gabriel wins the prize for waiting 21 years before releasing i/o.

I’m going to admit up front, I’m a more casual fan of the Cure. Perhaps better stated I’m a “greatest hits” kind of fan. I’d love to tell you I was hip enough in junior high school that I was an early adopter and was cranking Three Imaginary Boys on my three-in-one (turntable, cassette deck, radio) stereo in my childhood room. I was not that cool and I have the photos to prove it. I probably became aware of the Cure in college – on campus radio and MTV. “Close To You” is the first track I can remember liking. It wasn’t until well after college, after my Ft. Smith exile that I was sitting in a KC bar in the early 90s and they were playing the landmark Cure album Disintegration. I looked at my friend and said, “Is this all the Cure? Is this all the same album?” Mesmerized by such tunes as “Lullaby” and “Fascination Street,” I immediately went out and bought the CD. Since then I’ve heard most every album they’ve put out at some point but have remained a more casual fan. In the days of MP3’s I’d down load a few tracks off most of their LPs.

I know the Cure has been through a lot of lineup changes, especially in this new millennium. However, when I checked out the bio on the current line up, most of these guys have played with the Cure off and on since at least the 80s. The Cure is: Robert Smith (vocals/songwriter/guitar/keyboards/genius/lipstick), Simon Gallup (bass), Roger O’Donnell (keyboards), Perry Bamonte (guitar/keyboards), Jason Cooper (drums) and relative newcomer (2012) Reeves Gabrels (guitar) who used to play with David Bowie from 1987-1999 which includes a stint in Bowie’s side project Tin Machine. Bamonte is not listed in the credits of the album so he might just be a touring member… such is my blind spot in terms of who was in the band… I thought Porl Thompson might still be around.

If you are a hardcore fan of the Cure, or more like me a casual, Disintegration plus greatest hits” kind of fan, you are going to love Songs Of A Lost World. I’ll probably get backlash as a casual fan but to me this is the best album they’ve done since Disintegration. The sound of this album, the vibe, reminds me of that masterpiece album. First and foremost, let me say, Robert Smith’s voice is a modern miracle. He doesn’t sound like he’s lost anything in terms of vocal firepower. His voice is nothing short of spectacular. There is a lot of synth on this album and it could have descended into a ethereal cloud of mellowness like some of the last few Smashing Pumpkins LPs (until this years Aghori Mhori Mei). But Lost World avoids that trap and it’s mostly through the sheer power and force of the rhythm section – drummer Jason Cooper and longtime bassist Simon Gallup. Cooper hits the drums like he’s mad at them. Gallup plays an aggressive, distorted bass that I just love. Those guys give this music a flinty toughness that I didn’t expect. The other factor that adds steel to these tunes is the amazing guitar slaying of Reeves Gabrels. I’ve always loved the way he plays.

The album captures a myriad of moods – isolation, despair and that strong sense that something has been lost (a love, the soul of a nation, a relationship). That sounds like it could be a bummer but despite the heavy themes there’s a strength and dare I say, a resiliency, that comes through in this music. It captured me immediately – its one of those albums that when the needle hits the groove, it’s like it’s jabbing directly into the grooves in my brain – but the themes mean even more to me since last Tuesday.

The album is book-ended by two long-ish tracks. “Alone” is the first song, it’s almost 7 minutes long and Smith doesn’t start singing until about 3 1/2 minutes in. Despite that you’ll be swept away in the epic swirl of strings and synths…and of course that propulsive rhythm section. It’s a stunning opener. The last track is well over 10 minutes, “Endsong.” It’s more like 6 minutes before Smith begins to sing. The riff Gabrels plays is like an electric mantra. It’s an absolute perfect ending.

Between those two tracks there are six additional almost perfect songs. I was surprised that after 16 years they put out an album with only 8 songs, but apparently they’ve recorded three albums and this is the first in a trilogy. Dune apparently has nothing on the Cure. “And Nothing Is Forever” starts with a beautiful piano and strings. As Smith sings “Promise me you’ll be with me in the end,” I couldn’t help but think, “Isn’t that what we all long for, for that certain someone to be there in the end?” It’s a gorgeous song. “A Fragile Thing” is propelled by those great drums and bass and Smith’s voice. I’d call it a midtempo song. “I Can Never Say Goodbye” is another in this vein of heartfelt songs of longing. “Love’s slipping away, Hear the bells beyond the sea, It’s almost too late…” I think we’ve all been there.

There are some more upbeat rockers here. The Rock Chick’s favorite track is “Drone:Nodrone” which is understandable, it’s the hardest rocking thing here… and she is THE Rock Chick. It’s crunchy guitar, bass and drums. The track swings, man. The song “Warsong” details a fractious relationship. “Oh, it’s misery the way we fight, For bitter ends we tear the night in two, I want your death, you want my life…” kind of reminds me of a girl I used to know. Gabrels guitar string bending is indeed mind bending. “All I Ever Am” is a nice pallet cleanser with lilting keyboards over heavy drums and then a nice guitar riff kicks in.

After sixteen years and few middling albums before that, I don’t think any of us expected the Cure would return with such a tour de force album. This thing is, simply put, a triumph. As I said when I started this post, this is not only one of the best albums of the year, it may be the single best album of the year. This is the kind of album I started this blog to tell people about. I’m talking about this album to everyone I can… I told my hairstylist at my last haircut she needed to pick this up asap… I’m telling strangers about this album, it’s that good.

A fantastic, classic sounding album from the Cure in 2024. Who had that on your bingo card?

It’s a chilling, terrible road we have ahead of us folks, might as well put on the Cure while we watch it burn. Cheers!