The Cure

“I wanted this album to have an atmosphere. Some Cure records are thematic. ‘Disintegration’, ‘Pornography’ or ‘Bloodflowers’ have an atmosphere, an emotional core. Well, as I was writing the music for this album, there was that same cohesion.” That's how Robert Smith describes “Songs Of A Lost World”, the British band's 14th studio album and their first in 16 years, due out on November 1st (pre-order already available).

It's a record that had a far from easy gestation. “I don't think there was ever an official starting point for this album,” Robert Smith explains, recounting its genesis, “because it drifted in and out of my life for a very long time. If I have one regret, it's that I talked about it back in 2019, because I shouldn't have, since we'd only just started creating it. There were moments when I thought, ‘we're going to make a new album’. And then, for various reasons, the idea kept getting pushed back. As early as 2016-2017 I was already gearing up for the band's 40th anniversary and thinking a new album would be the way to celebrate it, but life got in the way again and I didn't do it. And given how things turned out, that was probably for the best.”

Smith points out that, compared to other albums in their career, the songs on “Songs Of A Lost World” gained strength and cohesion through live performances, something that recalls the way the Cure honed their sound while touring in support of “Bloodflowers”, the album that effectively closed out the so-called “darkness trilogy” alongside “Pornography” and “Disintegration”. Songs like “Alone” and “Endsong”, played live before their release, found a new emotional dimension thanks to the audience's response and the way the band learned to live with them and play them.

The creation of "Songs Of A Lost World", as mentioned, was a long and tortuous journey, marked by periods of inactivity and moments of doubt, echoing a process similar to that of "Pornography". The 1982 album was in fact one of the darkest moments of the Cure's career, both musically and personally, representing a kind of emotional exorcism for Smith and the band. In a parallel way, "Songs Of a Lost World" tackles equally profound themes, such as loss and death, with songs like "I Can Never Say Goodbye", dedicated to Smith's late brother, which reconnect with those dark, tormented atmospheres that have defined the most intense moments of the band's discography. "The songs have always had this element, the fear of mortality – Smith explained – It's always been like that, ever since I was young. But as you get older, it becomes more real. Are we all aging at the same rate? More or less. I tried to find the right tone, as with 'I Can Never Say Goodbye', which is about my brother's death. I was so devastated that I thought some of the versions I'd made were fantastic. Then I played them to someone and they told me: 'You can't, it's too much.' Performing it on stage has helped me deal with the grief. I miss him."

As for the theme of the relentless passing of time, Smith reflects: "I don't feel my age at all, but I'm aware that I turned 65 this year. The things I'm interested in now aren't the things I was interested in 20 years ago. There have been long stretches in the Cure's history when some songs mattered and others didn't. On this album, they all matter. I want the songs to mean something."

"Alone", the first track released to preview the album, which also opens its tracklist, was born out of those moments Smith spent wandering outdoors at night, "watching the sky, usually with a fire burning somewhere nearby… when the flames die down and dawn starts to break, there's always a moment when I can't help feeling an overwhelming sense of being very lost, very alone, close to the end." That's exactly the feeling he tries to capture in 'Alone'. "Once I'd written 'Alone' – he confided – I knew the album 'Songs Of A Lost World' would get made."

Regarding the second track released from the album in recent days, "A Fragile Thing", the Cure frontman explained: "It's a song inspired by the difficulties we face in choosing between mutually exclusive needs, and by how we deal with the futile regret that can follow those choices, no matter how sure we are that we made the right ones… it can often be very hard to be the person you really need to be."

In "Endsong", on the other hand, the track that closes the album, "the themes are very similar to 'Alone', they're intertwined, the songs almost echo one another – the singer points out – I feel more or less the same as when I was ten years old, watching the Moon landing, but I know the world beneath my feet is no longer what it once was, and I know I'm not either. The world I was born into was steadily improving every year. It seemed to be on an upward trajectory, and the Moon landing was part of that. By the time I turned 16, the world seemed to have ground to a halt. And it's been heading downhill ever since. That's the beating heart of the album, 'Songs Of A Lost World', everything that is the lost world."

The balance between light and darkness in "Songs Of A Lost World" reflects the duality also present in "Disintegration" (1989), where the deepest melancholy was offset by moments of aching beauty. Smith also reveals that he trimmed down the album, cutting the original tracklist from 13 to 8 songs, to ensure a more effective emotional flow, balancing the emotional weight of the tracks by including less oppressive ones, while keeping intact the dark, reflective tone that defines the record. "A couple of songs, which I really love, were cut, and others were added that I didn't think would work – Smith admits – Now it's a better record, because it has a bit of light and a bit of darkness. And it's also an album that most people who've heard it want to listen to again. It's the first time in a long while that anyone's said that about a Cure record."

To celebrate their return 16 years after their last studio album, "4:13 Dream" (2008), the Cure have also announced a concert and live streaming event for November 1st at London's Troxy, which will be billed as their only full live performance of 2024. Titled "Show Of A Lost World", the event will see the English band perform the entire "Songs Of A Lost World" album. The concert will also be available via free live streaming on YouTube.

Tickets to attend the Cure's show at London's Troxy in person will go on sale Thursday, October 17th at 3pm via the DICE ticketing platform. £1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the charity War Child. In addition to the Troxy show, the Cure will play a live session at the BBC Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House in London, which will air on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 2 on October 31st.

For Robert Smith and co., Tim Pope's documentary, announced a few years back, should also be arriving soon. "It's definitely happening – Smith assures – it's a work in progress." On the horizon, following collaborations with Gorillaz, Deftones and Noel Gallagher, there's said to be another collaboration currently under wraps.

Below is the final tracklist for "Songs Of A Lost World".

1. Alone
2. And Nothing Is Forever
3. A Fragile Thing
4. Warsong
5. Drone: Nodrone
6. I Can Never Say Goodbye
7. All I Ever Am
8. Endsong

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google