From their bright-sounding 1979 debut album Three Imaginary Boys, to their more somber 1980 release Seventeen Seconds, to their beloved 1989’s Disintegration, The Cure has been around for a while and has covered a lot of ground within the confines of the rock genre. The versatility of their albums is perhaps one of the best things about the band.
After their 2008 release 4:13 Dream, The Cure went on a hiatus, leaving many fans, including myself, wondering if the day The Cure would come back with a new release would ever be a reality.
On September 26th, 2024, however, The Cure released the song “Alone” as a lead single to their upcoming album. This would make the track one of the first studio recordings The Cure had released in almost 16 years.
Songs of a Lost World was released on November 1st, and I was able to give it a complete listen. It is definitely a more instrumental-focused album with most songs being composed mostly of instrumental sections with minimal singing. The lead single “Alone” is perhaps the best example of this with the entire, almost seven-minute track, being an instrumental.
Though this is not to the album’s detriment, it has a really nice sound to it, as its qualities are somewhat dream-like. The sound is pretty dramatic at times, which I feel fairly neutral toward. It sometimes makes the album feel a little overblown, but it is not too overbearing to the point where I can’t stand it or take it seriously.
The songs themselves are written quite well. There is definitely an overarching theme throughout the album of love and death. It’s not a poorly incorporated theme, which I sometimes find to be the case with certain projects that take on similar themes. The songs feel genuine and heartfelt, which I really appreciate.
As for the singing, it is really well done. Vocalist Robert Smith still retains his signature vocal style, which I was very happy to hear as I listened to the album. Despite the shift in sound, certain qualities made it feel like it was still an album by The Cure, maintaining the feeling that most albums of theirs have.
Overall, I find this album to be a good addition to The Cure’s discography. It is not a ground-breaking record, but it is nice to see the much-loved goth rock group come together again and release some new music after almost two decades.
