The Cure have sent fans postcards seemingly confirming their new album title and release date.
- READ MORE: On the cover – Robert Smith on 40 years of The Cure
Some fans have taken to social media to share videos and speculate after receiving black postcards embossed to read ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ in scattered letting. At the bottom of the cryptic cards is the date 1/11/24 in Roman numerals, suggesting that their long-awaited album should be set to arrive on November 1.
Earlier this week (September 9), it looked like The Cure were finally teasing a new album, after the band took to their official social media pages, swapping out their previous profile picture for a new one comprised of a different new logo with an all-black background.
Guitarist Reeves Gabrels also shared a link directing fans to the band’s redesigned website and urged them to sign up for the mailing list. Eden, the son of bassist Simon Gallup (who stood in for his father on a run of 2019 dates), also excited fans by posting the lyrics from new song ‘Alone’: “This is the end of every song that we sing…”.
It all led fans to believe that Robert Smith and co were readying to announce some kind of return – which they were collectively hoping was the long-awaited ‘Songs Of A Lost World’, as the postcards have apparently confirmed.
Some fans of The Cure received these mysterious black cards in the mail today.”Songs of a Lost World” I-XI-MMXXIVThis translates to 1-11-2024 or November 1st, 2024. All Hallows and Day of the Dead.
Posted by Post-Punk.com on Thursday, September 12, 2024
@CraigatCoF pic.twitter.com/P2Io9BTQeg
— Simon Aston 〓〓 (@SimonAston12) September 12, 2024
Anyone else receive a postcard in the mail today confirming the release date for the long awaited album from @thecure #SongsofaLostWorld pic.twitter.com/yKytBNBmEp
— Andrew (@theboytemps) September 12, 2024
1/11/2024 pic.twitter.com/hUFQYU9bdr
— Andrew (@theboytemps) September 12, 2024
The news comes ahead of the release of the band’s two new songs as live recordings that will be a double A-side for climate charity ‘Earth Percent’.
Released via Naked Record Club – a record label that releases limited edition records on sustainable vinyl – ‘The Cure – Novembre: Live in France 2022’ is a double A-Side 12” Eco-Vinyl single featuring two live tracks that were recorded during the French leg of the band’s ‘Shows Of A Lost World’ tour.
The first song, ‘And Nothing Is Forever’ was recorded live in Montpellier at the Sud de France Arena on November 8 2022, while ‘I Can Never Say Goodbye’ was recorded live in Toulouse, Zénith, on November 13 2022. These are the first new tracks from The Cure in 16 years.
Back in 2022, The Cure also performed two other new tracks titled ‘Alone’ and ‘Endsong’ while kicking off their world tour. All of the unreleased songs are speculated to be featured on the band’s long-awaited new album, ‘Songs Of A Lost World’, which would mark their first LP in 16 years, following from 2008’s ‘4:13 Dream‘.
In a four-star review of their live performance at London’s OVO Arena Wembley during that year, NME noted Smith took the time to promise “that the new songs ‘won’t be new for much longer.’”
The review also described the new tracks, sharing: “The ticking clock piano rhythms and rolling bass of ‘A Fragile Thing’ accompany the promise that there’s “nothing you can do to change the end”, while ‘Endsong’ is a stunning, sprawling soundscape to portray Smith utterly lost in a universe where there’s “Nothing left of all I loved”.
“The truly devastating heart of the new material previewed comes with ‘I Can Never Say Goodbye’ – where howling guitars match the singer’s fear of “shadows growing closer now” as “something wicked this way comes, to steal away my brother’s life”. You feel that these songs are for those who mean the world to him.”
Speaking to NME backstage at the BandLab NME Awards 2022, Smith took the time to exclusively confirm that The Cure’s next album would be titled ‘Songs Of A Lost World’, sharing: “It’s got artwork, it’s got a running order, it’s almost done! They’re so slow because of vinyl, but it might come in September. I’d rather it just came out. I can’t stand the anticipation.”
He also revealed more about its sister record and his anticipated solo album. “So I’ve been working on two Cure albums, and one of them is finished,” he added. “Unfortunately, it’s the second one that’s finished. [On the other] I’ve got to do four vocals, and there are 10 songs on each album. We’re mixing next month on April 1, so I’ve got three weeks left.”
Asked about the sound of the upcoming records, Smith revealed: “Well the first Cure album is relentless doom and gloom. It’s the doomiest thing that we’ve ever done. The second one is upbeat, and my [solo] one won’t be out until next year.”
Elsewhere, Rodger O’Donnell recently revealed that he was diagnosed with blood cancer last year. The band’s keyboardist shared the news last week (September 1) on the first day of Blood Cancer Awareness Month.
He took to his official X/Twitter account to reveal that he was “diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of lymphoma” back in September 2023 and has since since recovered.
