Since its release on 1st November I have spent a lot of time with Songs Of A Lost World. I have thought about what to write and whether to write anything at all about this incredible new album by The Cure. What can I say, and who am I to offer any sort of commentary on The Cure? What qualifies me to pass any judgement or any opinion on this? That said, given the joy that Songs Of A Lost World has given me since its arrival I felt the need to commit some of my thoughts to paper (well digital) more for my benefit and also out of respect to The Cure and out of respect to the art form of the album and how in a world of 15 second shorts, a world where our collective attention span is diminishing, maybe it is through moments like this when an album is released that is very much the anthesis of a short that will hopefully strike a chord with people, capture everyone's attention for fifty minutes and in so doing will enrich our collective lives.
I have honestly lost count of the number of times I have listened to Songs Of A Lost World. The love was there from the start, but that love continues to grow deeper and more intense with every listen. What has stayed with me every time I spend time with the album is how powerful the tracks that make up this album are. They all tell a story, they all follow each other perfectly, it truly is a majestic piece of art. I have found myself drifting away with the emotions of the album, whilst relating the themes, feelings and emotions of the album to my own life. I have been on early morning runs, evening dog walks, drives to work, and not thinking about where I am going or how I am getting there, or what is facing me in the day ahead. My thoughts are getting lost deep within the album. It is one of those albums that can make the mundane tasks in life such as washing the dishes and doing the ironing feel more exciting. Trust me, if you have an hours worth of ironing to do put your headphones on, drift away with Songs Of A Lost World and you will no longer dread a full ironing basket.
The other thing that has struck a chord with me is how this album has arrived at exactly the right moment. It wasn’t planned that way, but genuinely this album is the tonic the world needs right now. A few days after the release we got the tragic results of the American Election, a result that is going to make the world a much scarier place for everyone. Songs Of A Lost World has enabled us to escape this news for a period of time, which is what we need from music. Please don’t misinterpret this, we have to stay in touch with the news now more than ever, make sure we get our news from reliable sources, and do what we can to make the world a better place but we also need moments of escape and music has always given me that.
Listening to this album I have also reflected on the urge we have to compare albums especially from bands like The Cure who are without a doubt one of the most important bands ever. Why do we feel the need to make sweeping comments such as ‘greatest album since...... or greatest album ever.....’ why can’t we just live in the moment. I suppose that fits into some of my opening comments around what qualifies me to judge / give an opinion. Whilst listening to Songs Of A Lost World I have been living in the moment, which is mainly down to the brilliance of the album, you have no choice other than to focus on what you are hearing in the here and now and not think about the past or who or what to compare this to. If this was an album that appeared today without no history it would rightly be heralded as a great album. Does it make it one of the greatest albums The Cure have released? Probably, but lets not compare. What The Cure have done is remind us they are far from a ‘legacy band’ they are still one of our most important bands, who need to be loved, worshipped and adored. I hope this album arrives in the hands of a teenager who is hearing The Cure for the first time and goes on to have their lives changed.
My intention of this article is not to write a full on review of every track, it is more about my feelings and the impact this album as a whole has had on me. It would however be neglectful of me not to mention some of the emotions that are within the album. Songs Of A Lost World deals with human emotions, thoughts, feelings and reflections on life that we all experience. This is a deeply personal album with probably some of the most honest and personal lyrics that Robert Smith has written. Alone sets the lyrical theme to the album which sees Robert reflecting on the passing of time “We were always sure that we would stay the same / But it all stops / And we close our eyes to sleep / To dream a boy and girl / Who dream the world is nothing but a dream.” And Nothing is Forever sees Robert wanting love and needing that love to be there right to the end “Promise you’ll be with me in the end / Say we’ll be together and that you won’t forget”. A univeral theme that we can all relate to. Be warned, the lyrics to this song get even more emotional and you will need to reach for the tissues as Robert sings “As the memory of the first time / In the stillness of a teardrop / As you hold me for the last time / In the dying of the life”
A Fragile Thing deals with regrets that we may have “I never thought I’d need to feel regret for all that I never was”. I Can Never Say Goodbye is Robert's song about the death of his brother, Robert has mentioned how playing this song has been cathartic for him. We have all no doubt experienced loss in our lives and this song is one that will resonate with how you felt and probably still do “Something wicked this way comes / From out the cruel and treacherous night / Something wicked this way comes / To steal away my brothers life / Something wicked this way comes / I can never say goodbye”.
The final lyrics I would like to highlight are those from Endsong that are just perfect, need no explanation and are ones that will have us all reflecting on the person we once were and those hopes and dreams we had.
“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 the boy and the world he called his own / I’m outside in the dark wondering how I got so old”.
Lyrically everything you hear on Songs Of A Lost World is poetic, humbling, and quite simply from the mind of a genius. Also of course the lyrics need the music and The Cure are a collective of musicians who bounce off each other, who inspire each other, who know what each band member is going to do next and the combination of all that results in an album that will have a deeply moving effect on every one that listens. An album that will outlive us all. An album that will be remembered and talked about until the end of time.
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