Continued on page 22
Continued from page 14
THE CURE Songs of a Lost World
( Polydor / Universal )
For the past five years , The Cure has promised that their long-awaited followup to 2008 ’ s 4:13 Dream was finished and would be released soon . “ Soon ” turned into next year . Then , the following year . Then , the year after that . Fans questioned if they would ever get the album . The sparse album updates became an inside joke among Cureheads . But this year , the Goth gods have smiled upon us ; Songs of a Lost World is finally out . Though the wait was long , it was worth it . It ' s strange to say , but The Cure is at their best when they ’ re miserable . Songs of a Lost World is the band at its gloomiest . It ’ s 49 minutes of gorgeous melancholy tunes that capture the version of The Cure we ’ ve missed over the years : morose , gloomy , grim , and bleak . The album has the big , lush soundscape of Disintegration with the overwhelming sadness of Bloodflowers . Dealing with themes of loss , growing older , and grief , the songs are emotionally intense and will leave you reaching for a box of tissues . The opener , “ Alone ,” sets the record ’ s somber tone . In classic Cure fashion , the lengthy intro is filled with soft , gentle keys and slow , hypnotic guitars that keep swelling , leading up to Smith ’ s appearance . The music puts you at ease until Smith ’ s distinct drawl comes in , singing , “ This is the end / of every song we sing .” From there , it ’ s hard to stop the tears from flowing . It ’ s a beautiful song about feeling lost in an unforgiving world . “ A Fragile Thing ” is a fleeting bright moment on the record with its soaring guitar riff and upbeat hook . But lurking beneath the surface is a crushing song about a love that ’ s long gone . The foreboding “ Warsong ” has a thick wall of sound that threatens to burst as a violentsounding Smith questions if fighting is a part of the human condition . The gritty “ Drone : Nodrone ” feels too similar to “ Fascination Street .” Everything from its drum fills to the chunky bass line to
Smith s anger is too reminiscent of the song . Yet , it ’ s punchy and injects a healthy dose of aggression and groove into the album before we return to the darkness . How deep and personal Smith gets adds to the album ’ s emotional rawness . He ’ s never shied away from expressing himself , but his fears , vulnerability , and faults are displayed here . “ I Can Never Say Goodbye ,” written about the death of his brother , finds him confronting mortality as he pleads in vain for his brother to wake up before accepting that he ’ s gone and he “ can never say goodbye .” Smith deals with the trappings of nostalgia in the dream poppy “ All I Ever Am .” He struggles to stay in the present moment and worries about where his mind would wander if he doesn ’ t fill it with old memories . The bittersweet “ And Nothing Is Forever ” is about promising to stay by a loved one ’ s side forever and the guilt when it ’ s inevitably broken . As if things couldn ’ t get darker , the album ends with the aptly named “ Endsong .” Here , Smith struggles as he ages and watches the world he once knew disappear . It ’ s a gutwrenching finale where he proclaims there ’ s no more hope , no more dreams . He ’ s left with nothing . Against a backdrop of wailing guitars , Smith howls , “ it ’ s all gone / nothing left of all I loved ” before concluding , “ I don ’ t belong here anymore .” It is a devastating moment that hits close to home . 24 / 7 news cycles about war , inflation , the election , and global warming make it seem like the world is falling apart around us . Like Smith himself , the constant barrage of bad news leaves you feeling hopeless and empty .
Songs of a Lost World is simply a stunning comeback for a band this far into their career . It ’ s a return of the dark , grim version of The Cure we know and love . It ’ s a raw , emotionally charged record that finds Smith at his most personal as he struggles with getting older , mortality , and loneliness . The songs are beautiful enough to make you smile yet heavy enough to leave you in tears . The record proves that nearly 50 years into their career , The Cure has a fire that still burns bright and refuses to be snuffed out . With the album finally released , we may get that solo album Smith ’ s been promising since the ‘ 80s .
– Ashley Perez-Hollingsworth
9
Continued on page 18
10 illinoisentertainer . com november 2024