The Cure, ‘Songs From a Lost World’: new album release, instant reaction review, songs

The early reviews were on the money, this is a fine, fine album and a real statement record from the band despite it taking 16 years for their 14th studio album to see the light of day.

Upon first listen, the only track that left me a little cold was 'And Nothing is Forever', but from 'A Fragile Thing' onwards it's solid track after solid track with the album displaying a beautiful aural claustrophobia.

Jason Cooper's drums take centre stage on so many of the songs and Smith's voice compliments the intense wall of sound. 

I Can Never Say Goodbye is powerful and personal and the album's closing track 'Endsong' is an immediate Cure epic ! 

8) Endsong

And so we come to the ten minute epic “Endsong”, the closing track of The Cure’s 14th studio album, was apparently inspired by a starlit night that reminded Robert Smith of a similar evening in 1969, stargazing in the back garden with his father when Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

An absolutely stunningly powerful intro which builds and builds, growing in intensity with new sonic layers carefully being added.

Another song about mortality and getting older..

'what became of that boy' and 'wondering how I got so old'

with a bleak chorus of:

[Chorus]
"It's all gone, it's all gone
Nothing left of all I loved
It all feels wrong
It's all gone, it's all gone, it's all gone
No hopes, no dreams, no world
No, I don't belong
I don't belong here anymore"

This is a track that will be a real standout in a live capacity and can see it closing the band's setlist.

A worthy trilogy to the tracks 'Disintegration' and Bloodflowers.

An epic way to close the album. 

7) All I Ever Am

Another long but excellent intro, at times not even sounding like The Cure. 

Intense again and the drum sound takes centre stage....

Wow, big, big catchy chorus...

"I lose all my life like this
Reflecting time and memories
And all for fear of what I'll find
If I just stop and empty out my mind
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"

and a prophetic last line from Smith... an assessment of where his head is .

"And all for fear of what I'll find
If I just stop"

Another very immediate track and as good as the band have ever delivered. Worth the 16 year wait !

6) I Can Never Say Goodbye

A track that stood out when I saw the band in 2022 as Robert explained the story behind the song as a tribute to his older brother Richard. 

Another lengthy intro with nicely complimented layered instrumentation as it builds. 

Really personal and moving lyrics about being on hand as his brother passed with Smith claiming that writing the song helped him come to terms with the loss. 

Excellent and indeed as the early reviews stated, an album highlight 

"Thunder rolling in to drown
November moon in cold black rain
As lightning tears the sky apart
I'm whispering his name
He has to wake up
Love slipping away
Hear the bells across the sea
It's almost too late

Shadows growing closer now
There is nowhere left to hide
I can't wake this dreamless sleep
However hard I try
I'm down on my knees
And I'm aching inside
Something wicked this way comes
From out the cool November night
Something wicked this way comes
To steal away my brother's life
Something wicked this way comes
I could never say goodbye

Something wicked this way comes
From out the cruel and treacherous high
Something wicked this way comes
To steal away my brother's life
Something wicked this way comes"

5) Drone: Nodrone

Hints of Shake Dog Shake in the intro here, but then moves into a different more upbeat groove with a mean sound coming from Simon Gallup's bass.

This track is apparently inspired by the arrival of a drone above Smith’s garden in his Sussex house.

A solid guitar solo bridges the track and at times the vocals are 'almost' pop..... the 'down, down, down' part reminds me of Hot Hot Hot but this is a much darker and intense track.

4) Warsong

Another big brooding and dark intro with the Jason Cooper drums taking centre stage.

Plenty of 'wah wah' pedal at work too.

This is pure Cure, a wall of swirling sound and Robert's vocals piercing their way through the sonics.

If anything, the track ends too soon !

Excellent ...best of the new tracks to date by a country mile !

3) A Fragile Thing

The second 'single' from the new album and another song about relationships, longing and loss.

A track that could easily have appeared on Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me or Disintegration and one of the tracks that was played extensively on the Shows of a Lost World global tour.

Apparently, from early reviews, one of the more upbeat tracks on the record.

2) And Nothing is Forever

So the first 'bonafide' new song on Songs From a Lost World.

Another lengthy instrumental intro (two minute plus), this time driven by piano and strings.

"Promise you'll be with me in the end" is the key line from the track with again the theme of mortality apparent with the 'nothing is forever' lyric.

Not bad and potentially a grower after repeated listening. 

1) Alone

This was the lead single for the new project and is an epic, six minute plus track.

"This is the end of every song that we sing" is the opening and closing line to a track which sounds even better enjoyed via the intimacy of headphones as the song explores loss, disillusionment, and the passage of time. 

"hopes and dreams are gone"...

Despite just being released a matter of weeks, has all the hallmarks of being a Cure classic.

Ok, and Songs From a Lost World is out !

Here's the full album, initial reaction live review ....

We're in that 'final countdown' period... less than five minutes left, Alone with it's long brooding intro being the opening track.

No skipping ahead here !

Don't forget, tonight's review is all based on a first listen with some of the best music needing repeated listens.

Traditionally, Cure tracks are not what one call 'immediate bangers' 

The theme of loss, mortality, aging and despair as we saw with Disintegration and Bloodflowers are vew much the common themes for Songs From a Lost World and if the new album can come close to those two in terms of quality, then we're in for a treat !

Ten minutes to go by the way !

There are new album listening parties also scheduled to be held across the world with the likes of Mexico City, Paris, Bologna, Madrid and many more hosting Cure fans who are desperate to savor the first new album since 2008.

Songs From a Lost World: tracklist

A reminder of the eight tracks that make up the new album and this time with their respective running times.

1) Alone (6.48)

2) And Nothing is Forever (6.53)

3) A Fragile Thing (4.43)

4) Warsong (4.17)

5) Drone: Nodrone (4.45)

6) I Can Never Say Goodbye (6.03)

7) All I Ever Am (5.21)

8) Endsong (10.23)

I Can Never Say Goodbye (at BBC)

Recorded earlier today at the BBC Studios, here is the track which pays tribute to Robert Smith's brother Richard who passed away some years ago.

But.... the good news for those outside London... the event will be live streamed via the band's You Tube page live on the 1st (November)

The Cure at Troxy

The Cure at Troxy

The band are also set to perform a one-off show at London's Troxy venue in the East End with all available tickets selling out in seconds and both the band and promoter going at lengths to ensure that no tickets end up on the second hand ticket market. 

Songs From a Lost World: picture disc

The picture disc of the new record is just one of the various formats available as part of the limited 6,000 heat sensitive thermochromic sleeve run.

The Cure at the BBC

The band performed earlier this evening at the BBC studios with the tracklisting below in a short gog that included new songs from 'Songs From a Lost World' and some old classics.

Radio 2 In Concert Setlist:
Alone
Pictures Of You
A Fragile Thing
High
A Night Like This
Lovesong
The Walk
Inbetween Days
Just Like Heaven
From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea
End Song

Encore
Lullaby
Friday I’m In Love
Close To Me
Why Can’t I Be You?

So, 'how does this live review thing work' I hear you ask.

Well.... in roughly 40 minutes, as soon as the album drops, we'll go through each track and offer an non-partisan and objective review as the tracks unfold.

Having followed the band since the early 80's and seen The Cure live on countless times and even worked on their back catalogue when at Universal Music, I hope to be as unbiased as possible.

Speaking of tours, speaking recently to English journalist, Matt Everitt, Robert Smith admitted that the band will probably skip the 2025 festival circuit and head out on tour again in autumn 2025, with dates set to invariably include the USA and this will then lead into 50th-anniversary concerts in 2026 with a career spanning documentary expected in 2028.

'I Can Never Say Goodbye' is another track that has gained positive acclaim with the song being a tribute to Robert's older brother who passed away a few years ago.

The track has been aired regularly by the group as part of the most recent 'Shows of a Lost World' tour.  

We've got less than an hour to go before the album drops.

We do know that the record clocks in at 49 minutes with the last track 'Endsong' being cited as a 'bit of an epic' clocking in at more than ten minutes.

What's on the album cover?

For those wondering what the stone image is on the cover, it is apparently a sculpture called Bagatelle, a 1975 work by Slovenian artist Janez Pirnat (who passed away in 2021 aged 88), based on a damaged classical sculpture rescued from beneath the waves. 

More details on the cover courtesy of The Slovenian Times

Songs From a Lost World: reviews

Clash Music

9/10

With ‘Songs Of A Lost World,’ The Cure has not only produced something worth the wait but added another classic to their already sterling catalogue. This is a late-career gem from one of the world’s most idiosyncratic acts.

Songs From a Lost World: reviews

The Guardian (UK)

10/10

"The music on Songs of a Lost World feels more direct and purposeful than either of its immediate predecessors. Even the slowest tracks have a bruising impact, courtesy of the rhythm section."

Songs From a Lost World: reviews

NME

10/10

"Arguably the most personal album of Smith’s career. Mortality may loom, but there’s colour in the black and flowers on the grave".

Following some early ‘rave reviews’ ahead of the release of The Cure’s 14th studio album: ‘Songs of a Lost World’, anticipation ahead of it’s 1 November release is soaring.

This is the band’s first new music since the 2008 4:13 Dream album, a record which left many Cure fans underwhelmed with the release which ended up being both a critical and commercial disappointment for the Robert Smith fronted band.

The finished product

Songs From a Lost World: formats

The new album is being released as a deluxe 2CD+blu-ray set which features bonus instrumentals on the second CD and a blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos Mix & Hi-Res Stereo. There’s also black vinyl, grey marble vinyl, a 2LP half-speed mastered version, standard CD and cassette.

Songs From a Lost World: tracklist

1) Alone

2) And Nothing is Forever

3) A Fragile Thing

4)Warsong

5) Drone: Nodrone

6) I Can Never Say Goodbye

7) All I Ever Am

8) Endsong

Eight new tracks to look forward to from the English band with the new album the first new music from the Robert Smith fronted outfit since 2008.

Hello and welcome to our live review of The Cure's brand new album 'Songs From a Lost World'