I was lucky enough to take photos of a Cure show in Seattle just a few years ago. A couple days after the show, after I’d posted the stills online, I received a message from the official Cure page stating “Hello there, Robert saw this picture that you took of him in Seattle and was curious if we could use the shot?”
Robert Smith, one of my musical heroes, saw the picture I took of him and went out of his way to ask if The Cure could use the photo! My reaction was ”...Umm, YES! Most of the time people don’t even ask!” And that’s how a photo I captured of one of my favorite musicians was liked and used by said musician. A career highlight.
The Cure are a legendary band. I don’t know anyone who would argue that fact with me. They also are one of my favorite groups of all time, so forgive my personal positive bias in this review, if you will.
The Cure are often cited as one of the architects of “goth rock.” And when you look at Robert Smith you can put two and two together. With his wild black hair and smeared red lipstick he resembles a Tim Burton movie character. And the music has always had a darker tinge to it — along with occasionally imaginatively disturbing lyrics.
Personally, I’ve always felt that to be a pigeonhole term for the band. Throughout the group’s career Smith has written tender love songs, psychedelic trip outs, straight up pop tunes and rock classics. This diversity frames The Cure as so much more than “goth rock” pioneers. On Songs Of A Lost World, The Cure return after a sixteen year break. And, if you ask me, this album is their best since 1989’s Disintegration.
For those less familiar with The Cure's work, that’s me making a bold statement. Disintegration is often cited as The Cure’s ultimate work, and it’s been one of my most listened-to albums. But Songs Of A Lost World is worth comparing to that classic album. It’s that good. The record plays like a companion piece to Disintegration, with certain songs feeling like newly imagined versions of singles off that record. Imagine if you will that those classic songs had children. These tracks are those children.
The simple fact that this album is the first Cure record in sixteen years and somehow Robert Smith sounds just as good - if not better than he did in the ‘80s - is mind blowing.
Personally, I enjoyed every track on this record. Highlights include “Alone,” “All I Ever Am,” “A Fragile Thing” and “Endsong.” These singles can go toe-to-toe with the band’s most classic offerings, including “Pictures Of You,” “Friday I’m In Love” and “Just Like Heaven.” At this time, I can’t think of any other group that has crafted such a strong and refreshingly creative album this late in their career (maybe Radiohead?). Songs Of A Lost World is one of the biggest surprises I’ve ever listened to. As I mentioned, not only does Smith sound incredible, but the band is playing at a level that hasn’t been heard since 1992’s Wish. If you’re a fan of The Cure listen to this album. Period.
