Comeback records are insanely hard to pull off, especially if the hiatus is longer than only a couple of years. For UK mainstays, The Cure, it has been over 15 years since they have released a full-length record. There are a ton of comeback albums that are just plain cash grabs, however, The Cure’s newest record, “Songs Of A Lost World,” brings back the group’s signature sound.
Frontman Robert Smith has always been up front with his emotions, and he showcases this with each song on “Lost World.” The first track, “Alone,” sees Smith taking a look at life through a more complete perspective after recently turning 65 years old.
“And here is to love, to all the love/Falling out of our lives/Hopes and dreams are gone/The end of every song,” Smith sings on “Alone.”
Smith sees love in a more nuanced thing on a lot of the tracks. He sees it as something that — like a lot of things — comes and goes with time. It is never a set thing, it is fluid: not black or white.
“You will remember me in time/Promise you’ll be with me in the end/Say we’ll be together and with no regret/However far away (However far away),” Smith sings on track two, “And Nothing is Forever.”
Aside from the lyrics, The Cure’s signature gothic rock sound is back and better than ever before. Shimmering and soaring guitar melodies, as well as booming drums wash over the aesthetic of the record. The vibes are back, it seems as though “Songs Of A Lost World” is a more refined version of their classic, 1989 album, “Disintegration.”
Their albums released after 1989 include: 1992’s “Wish,” 1996’s “Wild Mood Swings” and eventually what came to be 2008’s disappointing “4:13 dream,” do not compare to this adventurous yet faithful Cure continuation.
While there are not any classic, dreamy, gothic post-punk hits on this one, songs like “A Fragile Thing,” “I Can Never Say Goodbye” and “All I Ever Am” contain catchy melodies that make up for the lack of stand-out choruses.
The best song from among these eight tracks is — undoubtedly — the closer track, “Endsong.” It is a ten-minute behemoth of a track that has a six-minute build-up of gothic rock ambience then it explodes into a triumphant guitar solo, as well as having some of Smith’s best lyrical moments on the album.
“And I’m outside in the dark staring at the blood red moon/Remembering the hopes and dreams I had and all I had to do/And wondering what became of that boy and the world he called his own/I’m outside in the dark wondering how I got so old,” Smith sings on the final track.
Smith feels the totality of life and is currently grappling with it. There is a palpable sense of fear from the lead-singer, he does not want to grow old but knows it is an inevitable process and a part of life. This is the type of lyrical contemplation I expect from acts that have been working for more than 45 years.
Overall, despite the lack of “classic tracks” and memorable choruses on most of the songs, The Cure’s “Songs Of A Lost World” dynamically features a lot of the best aspects of the band. It is a worthy comeback record and has blown my expectations out of the water.
