I’ll start by admitting that I love The Cure. I can’t quite remember, but certainly from their 1985 album, “The Head on the Door.”
On a personal note, I was only seventeen when they released “Disintegration” in 1989. I was nearing the end of high school and going through a rough patch, having just recently lost my dad. I listened to “Disintegration” with a friend, lying on her bedroom floor, thinking this album was written for me. The very beginning with Plainsong still makes me tingle after all these years.
“Disintegration” is one of my favorite albums of all time. If I need to do a Best Albums ever list, that’s another post!
Songs of a Lost World
The opening track, Alone, promptly sets the tone for “Songs of a Lost World.” It begins with a haunting, atmospheric introduction that builds slowly, drawing everyone into a reflective and unsettling mood.
The Cure excels at creating desolate soundscapes. Alone perfectly captures this feeling. It feels like a journey through empty space. Robert Smith’s voice emerges from the long, dark instrumental buildup. His vocals are vulnerable yet commanding. They carry an emotional weight that underscores the song’s themes of isolation and longing. It does remind me of the beginning of “Disintegration” with Plainsong in a way.
The lyrics convey a deep-seated loneliness. They explore the feeling of being disconnected from the world. They yearn for something out of reach. They start with, “This is the end of every song that we sing. The fire burned out to ash, and the stars grown dim with tears.”
To the ultimate ending: “This is the end of every song we sing, alone,” which expresses the existential ache. This is a recurring theme in Smith’s songwriting.
Musically, Alone is quintessential of The Cure. Rich, reverb-drenched guitars weave together with subtle synth layers. They create an expansive, intricate, and immersive sound. It is one of my favorite tracks.
Simon Gallup’s signature bass lines anchor the rhythm section, providing a steady, almost hypnotic pulse that drives the track onward. The drums are deliberate, adding a sense of gravity without overpowering the song’s ethereal quality.
The shimmering guitar riffs and moody, somber synth lines interact powerfully, creating a lush yet desolate sonic landscape. This makes Alone a powerful opening statement, setting the stage for the rest of the album.
Alone feels like an invocation, inviting the listener into the lost world that The Cure is about to unveil. It captures the beauty and pain of solitude, reminding us why The Cure remains masters of their craft after all these years.
For longtime fans, it’s a return to form that feels familiar and fresh. New listeners will find in it an evocative introduction to the band’s timeless ability to convey raw emotion through music. Listening to this, can you believe that this band formed in 1979? They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. This is their fourteenth studio album, their first in 16 years.
The second track, And Nothing is Forever, features a delicate guitar melody. Smith’s vocals are – and have always been – deeply emotional. Here, they convey a sense of resignation. After over two minutes of piano and strings, he sings. The song discusses the inevitability of change. It also explores the fleeting nature of life, a common thread of this album. The lyrics, like: “And nothing is forever. I know, I know. That my world has grown old. But it really doesn’t matter. If you say, we’ll be together.” They capture a melancholic acceptance that resonates with the album’s overarching themes. It’s a pretty song, and with the opening lyric, “Promise you’ll be with me in the end.” it is hard to resist.
A Fragile Thing follows as the third track, offering a more delicate and introspective sound, another of my favorite songs. The song opens with a gentle piano line. Soon, Smith’s vocals join, which are tender and almost whisper-like. He reflects on the fragility of human connections. The lyrics highlight the vulnerability of love. They include lines like “And there’s nothing you can do to change it back, she said. Nothing you can do but sing, ‘This love is a fragile thing.'” The sense of intimacy makes it one of the album’s most heartfelt and moving pieces.
Warsong takes us on a powerful, rhythmic journey marked by a driving beat and pulsating bass lines. The track builds tension with its relentless rhythm section, while Smith’s vocals convey a sense of defiance and resilience. The lyrics are evocative. They speak to themes of conflict and inner turmoil. The lines include, “We fight these battles no one sees, wars that rage inside of me.” The shifting dynamics between the verses and the anthemic chorus give Warsong a sense of urgency. This creates power, making it a standout moment on the album.
Drone: Nodrone features layered synths and atmospheric feedback-laden guitar work, creating a hypnotic, almost trance-like effect. Smith’s vocals blend seamlessly with the instrumental backdrop: “Down, down, down, yeah, I’m pretty much done. Staring down the barrel of the same warm gun.” “Endless black night lost in looking for more. At least I know now how I lose it before. One last shot.“
I Can Never Say Goodbye is a deeply personal track that delves into themes of loss and remembrance. The song opens with rain and thunder. A somber piano follows, then drums, a crunchy guitar, and synth. After two minutes, Smith’s emotive vocals join in, conveying a sense of longing and grief. The lyrics are poignant. They reflect about the pain of losing someone dear, specifically his brother, with lines like “Something wicked this way comes. To steal away my brother’s life. Something wicked this way comes. I can never say goodbye.” I Can Never Say Goodbye is a touching and heartfelt moment on the album. It showcases Smith’s ability to convey raw, unfiltered emotion.
All I Ever Am continues the introspective journey, blending sheer melancholy with a sense of introspection. The track features a steady, driving rhythm. Smith’s vocals are both tender and resolute. He sings about identity and the struggle to find meaning in a chaotic world. “My weary dance with age. And resignation moves me slow. Toward a dark and empty stage. Where I can sing the world I know.” The chorus is particularly powerful, repeating, “Of all the ghosts and all the dreams. All I hold to in belief. That all I ever am. Is somehow never quite all I am now,” capturing a sense of self-awareness and acceptance. The instrumentation adds depth to the song’s lush synths and intricate guitar work. This makes it a standout track on the album.
Endsong closes the album on a sprawling, just over ten-minute cinematic experience that builds towards an emotional crescendo. The song begins with atmospheric synths and a slow, deliberate drumbeat, creating a sense of anticipation. Smith’s vocals are haunting as he reflects on endings. They don’t start until over six minutes into the song. He ponders the passage of time. According to The Guardian, one early live performance of Endsong showed Smith in tears. As he sang, he said: “I’m outside in the dark, wondering how I got so old.” He expressed, “It’s all gone, nothing left of all I loved.” The lyrics are introspective, touching on themes of mortality, which ties us back to the opener, Alone. “I will lose myself in time. It won’t be long. It’s all gone, it’s all gone, it’s all gone.
Left alone with nothing at the end of every song.
Left alone with nothing at the end of every song.
Left alone with nothing, nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.”
Endsong is a fitting conclusion, capturing the essence of The Cure’s trademark sound. Like many others on “Songs of a Lost World,” it would easily have slotted into 1989s “Disintegration.” This is a compliment.
With “Songs of a Lost World,” The Cure has crafted a timeless and relevant album. It blends their signature sound with new, experimental elements. Each track contributes to the overall atmosphere, creating a cohesive listening experience that takes the listener on an emotional journey.
You can’t play this album on shuffle.
For longtime fans, it reminds them why The Cure has remained such an enduring presence in music. New listeners will find an album rich with depth and emotion, inviting them into the band’s beautiful melancholic world.
Robert Smith has dropped hints about the follow-up to “Songs of a Lost World.” It is expected to come as early as next year. Let’s hope it won’t be sixteen years – because this is one of The Cure’s finest albums yet. I would love to see what they do next.
10/10
Chris Garrod, November 7, 2024