“Songs of a Lost World” feels like The Cure’s farewell

By Arman Saxena     11/12/24 10:17pm

Score: ★★★★½

Key Track: “Endsong”

Having released their last proper album in 2008 — the largely panned “4:13 Dream” — few would’ve expected the legendary ’80s British alternative rock band The Cure to release an album that feels like a late-career peak. But that’s exactly what “Songs of a Lost World” is - a rebirth, even though it's simultaneously a somber meditation on death. 

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This newest project marks a rebirth in commercial success as well, it became their first album since 1992’s “Wish” to reach number one in the United Kingdom. While it isn’t as consistently phenomenal as band classics like “Disintegration" or “Pornography,” this latest album has reached its success for a reason.  

“Songs of a Lost World” was written, arranged and composed entirely by lead vocalist Robert Smith, and hearing this album makes that fact seem unsurprising, due to the music’s incredible vulnerability. Channeling that raw honesty, Smith has released one of the best alternative rock albums of the year – decades after his band’s presumed peak.

Loneliness is one of the major themes on this album, and the project’s first track “Alone” epitomizes this. The song starts with a minutes-long instrumental section, something Smith implements to introduce multiple songs on this project. The extensive instrumental introductions enhance the project’s feelings of sparseness, contributing to the spacious atmosphere that makes the audience feel small in comparison. The guitar and drum combo that starts this album are melancholic and ethereal, creating a reflective mood that stays consistent throughout the album’s length. 

The lyrics that begin this album introduce the theme of “the end” right from the outset as Smith sings “This is the end of every song that we sing / the fire burned out to ash and the stars grown dim with tears / cold and afraid, the ghosts of all that we’ve been / We toast with bitter dregs to our emptiness.” At the time of this album’s release, Smith is 75 years old, and these lyrics seem like those of a man who realizes death is near and is scared of feeling alone and empty at “the end.” 

In this way, “Songs of a Lost World” feels like another album made by a rock legend over three decades after his presumed peak – David Bowie’s “Blackstar.” Both albums play like a last hurrah as their respective artists’ contemplate the worlds they will eventually leave behind over atmospheric guitars and drums. 

The third track, “A Fragile Thing,” is another album highlight. Less atmospheric and more rhythmic than “Alone,” stellar guitar work – especially the bass riffs – powers this song. Still, even without that first track’s ethereal quality, “A Fragile Thing” remains melancholically beautiful. It's a sentimental reflection on love had and love lost with an outro that ends “No, nothing you can do to change the end,” referring to the end of a past relationship. The song depicts a conversation between two lovers, with Smith’s ex repeating that there’s “nothing [he] can do to change it back”. 

The album’s next highlight “I Can Never Say Goodbye” is similarly haunted by loss, this time the loss of Smith’s brother. From the melodic opening piano notes onwards, this song is tailor-made to give its listener chills. On an album as devastating as this, it’s a feat that “I Can Never Say Goodbye” can claim to be one of the most powerful. The bridge cuts deep and illustrates a Smith that’s wracked with grief.  

The final track, a ten minute epic fittingly titled “Endsong,” begins with over six minutes of guitars, drums and keyboards that are simultaneously gloomy, somber and atmospheric. As the instruments crescendo into Smith’s vocals, the blend of sonics sounds almost despairing. After the intro verse, Smith sings “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”. 

At 75, Smith seems to be in a world he no longer recognizes. This song plays like a depressive breakdown, complete with a manic psychedelic rock electric guitar riff that forms the bridge as the song climaxes. “Endsong” is the perfect culmination to the album because it is an acknowledgement that love, meaning, hope and everything in between, all themes of the album thus far, has been lost. 

In this way, there could be no better song to cap off an album titled “Songs of a Lost World.” While the song is depressive in nature, it’s an immensely satisfying conclusion that provides emotional catharsis in its maximalist yet vulnerable climactic moments. “Endsong” is phenomenal, and if the track is truly the band’s ‘end song,’ they couldn’t have left on a higher note -- it’s one of the best tracks in their decades-spanning discography. 

On “Songs of a Lost World,” The Cure finds a poignant new resonance, capturing both their enduring artistry and Robert Smith’s rawest reflections on love, loss and mortality. This is an album that has the power to touch anyone, not just their dedicated fans. It’s a testament to their ability to channel universal experiences through the gothic beauty of their music, crafting an album that feels unflinchingly honest in its vulnerability. 

If this is indeed The Cure’s last album, it stands as a striking final chapter, not simply a farewell but a profound meditation. “Songs of a Lost World” is as haunting as it is unforgettable — a possible parting gift from a band still exploring the depths of the human heart, even after decades.

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