Most comeback albums amount to nothing more than an artist trying to milk the last bits of their fame for money. However, every once in a while, a band is able to ignite a new spark in a different direction or recapture what made them so special in the first place.
The 21st century has not been kind to The Cure. Despite already being regarded as one of the most influential and important bands in the history of alternative music by the 2000s, their music of that decade failed to mirror the material they’d produced in years past. While “Bloodflowers” has gained a cult following, their self-titled album The Cure (2004) and 4:13 (2008) flopped commercially and critically as many feared they’d grown too old to be relevant in the current music scene.
For all of the 2010s, The Cure toured regularly and hinted at a possible release but it never came. In these years following 4:13, Robert Smith has endured many personal troubles including the death of his mother, father, and brother among other family members. These losses obviously took a large toll on Smith fueling the development of Songs of a Lost World.
As the thunderous synths open up the album on “Alone,” the first track on the record, it’s clear that Smith and the band aren’t wasting a single second on the record. The glistening keys and soaring synths immediately draw comparisons to Disintegration-era Cure as the song slowly builds into Robert’s verses. Robert Smith sounds as young as ever delivering passionate verses as he prophetically announces “This is the end of every song we sing, alone.”
All of the tracks on Songs of a Lost World follow this all too familiar formula among The Cure’s work where the instrumentals are given time to develop and breathe before Robert Smith starts singing. This may steer some listeners away, but those who stay are drawn into the hypnotic synths, thick bass lines, and towering drums as they envelop every part of each mix, drowning the listener in the atmosphere of each track. The track “And Nothing is Forever” exemplifies this opening with a mellow piano line before slowly adding layers of synths, thumping bass, pounding drums, and eventually Smith’s tragic lyrics. The result is a song that slowly washes over the listener completely engulfing their ears with a steadily building wall of sound.
The Cure aren’t attempting to push any sonic boundaries or change stylistically with Songs of a Lost World as it never strays far from the atmospheric gothic rock they’ve become famous for. However, it’s clear they’ve taken inspiration from their new contemporaries in the resurgent shoegaze scene in songs such as “Warsong” which incorporates whirling guitars that build up the apocalyptic atmosphere of the track.
The album climaxes with the closer “Endsong,” where Robert Smith reflects on aging and the deaths of his family members. Smith passionately sings “It’s all gone, it’s all gone / Nothing left of all I’ve loved.” The instrumental reflects the tragic and desolate lyrics as it slowly builds from a set of cold synths and somberly plucked guitar notes into a screeching guitar-drenched wall of sound.
Songs of a Lost World isn’t without its faults, however. The mix of the drums on certain tracks can be a bit jarring as they pierce through all of the other instruments winning the noise competition. This can take a bit of the attention away from the beautiful synths and personal lyrics that fill each track.
The song “Drone:Nodrone” falls victim to a bad mix as the bass on the track pushes out all of the other instruments making the track feel cheaply produced. The constant wah on the guitar that stays throughout most of the track also becomes grinding on the ear during the later parts of the track.
Songs of a Lost World is a return to form for one of music’s most beloved bands. Songs are given time to develop into little worlds as each song is filled with shimmering synths, pounding drums and beautiful melodies. Robert Smith’s voice has seemingly not aged since the 80s and delivers some of his most emotional and personal lyrics to date. Despite certain flaws in the mix, Songs of a Lost World is a hauntingly beautiful album that reminds listeners what makes The Cure so special in the first place.
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