The Cure has finally released Songs of a Lost World, their first new album in 16 years since 4:13 Dream in 2008.
Available on all major streaming platforms, this album marks a long-awaited return for fans and captures the haunting, atmospheric sound that has defined The Cure’s influence on music for over four decades.
The album’s journey began with the first single, “Alone,” released on Sept. 23. Frontman Robert Smith described the track as “the song that unlocked the record.”
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“As soon as we recorded that song, I knew it had to be the opening song, and I felt the whole record come into focus,” he said.
Smith had spent significant time searching for the right words to encapsulate the record’s tone, ultimately returning to a phrase he had been considering for years. “For some time, I tried to find the right opening phrase for the right song that would lead the way for the project, working on the concept of ‘being alone,’ always with the nagging feeling of already knowing what the opening phrase should be.”
Inspiration struck when Smith recalled Dregs, a poem by the English poet Ernest Dowson. “As soon as we finished recording, I remembered the poem ‘Dregs’ by the English poet Ernest Dowson,” Smith noted. “That was the moment I realized that the song—and the album—had become something concrete.”
Another notable track, “A Fragile Thing,” continues the exploration of vulnerability and the inevitability of change. The song’s lyrics, “Nothing you can do to change the end,” reflect a poignant acceptance of life’s impermanence.
Produced by Smith and longtime collaborator Paul Corkett, who also worked with the band on Bloodflowers, Songs of a Lost World is available in various formats, including standard LP, double LP, exclusive indie-store colored vinyl, CD, deluxe CD with Blu-ray, and digital editions, giving fans a range of options to experience the new record.
To commemorate the album’s release, The Cure will perform their only scheduled show of the year at Troxy in London, which will be live-streamed on their YouTube channel under the title “Show of a Lost World: The Cure Live at Troxy” at 7 a.m. AEDT on Nov. 2. Tomorrow, BBC2 will also air a night dedicated to The Cure’s music and legacy in celebration of the album launch.
With more than 30 million albums sold, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2019, and four Glastonbury headlining performances, The Cure’s legacy as one of the U.K.’s most influential bands is undeniable. Formed in 1978, the group has continually reinvented itself while staying true to its dark, introspective style.
Stream Songs of a Lost World below.
