It took the lifetime of one teenager for British alternative rock band The Cure to compose, record and release their fourteenth full-length studio album Songs of A Lost World. Over the course of 16 years, Robert Smits (who is the only permanent member of the group since its founding in 1976) together with his bandmates has painted almost the Sistine Chapel – if we describe the creation of rock music with a pictorial analogy. From Friday, November 1, everyone is invited to visit it.
The return of legendary, but silent (at least in terms of studio recording) bands with a new record, which is announced on social networks and also in tangible press reports in the form of magazines or newspapers, evokes such feelings as if an old friend, who has not been seen, returns from distant sea voyages, it seems an entire eternity. On the long journey, he has experienced dangers, received revelations, tempered himself in the scales of power and has also become more sensitive to the interaction between the world and man, the first impulses of which can be traced back to ancient times.
Robert Smith and The Cure perform at Miami’s Kaseya Center on July 1, 2023. Photo: Shutterstock
The name of the album alone suggests a journey that, from the very first seconds, gives the opportunity to overcome the specific and inexorable dimension of space-time – it is an experience that the enjoyment of excellent art brings to the human senses.
A portrait of John Milton in the hallway of Christ College, Cambridge University, United Kingdom. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
We will see the concept of the lost world in many places in the literature of the Romantic era, especially in poetry. Even before romanticism, the epic poem “Paradise Lost” by the English poet and humanist John Milton of the Renaissance and early Baroque periods (Paradise Lost1667) can be considered a harbinger of a large-scale reassessment of history and values with a focused look at the course and changes of past eras. One of the themes that Milton deals with in his work is the relationship between the categories of good and evil and the possibilities of human free will to be realized at the foot of these opposites.
The Cure: A Journey of 16 Years to an Album
Well, well, well! Hold on to your black eyeliner and waxed mustaches, folks! The grandmasters of emo themselves, The Cure, have decided that 16 years is just the right amount of time to brew a new album, and it’s not just any album—it’s their fourteenth full-length studio album, titled Songs of A Lost World. Talk about taking your sweet time! One might say it took the entirety of a teenager’s life to whip up this concoction; I just hope they didn’t pick up any bad habits during that time, like scrolling endlessly through Instagram.
Now, Robert Smith, the lone wolf of the pack since ’76—the years have not been kind. But much like an artist painting a masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel, he’s been busy making sure every note, every lyric resonates deep in our gothic hearts. You’d think they were trying to capture lightning in a bottle, not just strumming some moody chords in the studio while sipping on cherry cola!
And the feelings that arise when legendary bands return from the vaults of silence? Picture this: it’s like finding an old friend who’s been sailing the high seas, dodging metaphorical sharks, only to show up with a wild story and a questionable tattoo that you can’t help but admire. Ah, yes, the nostalgia. Except instead of discussing their travels, they’ll probably just gaze into their empty cups and interpret the meaning of life. Still, we adore them!
Embarking on a Sound Odyssey
The album title alone hints at an epic quest through time and space—wading through the depths of existential angst while bobbing along to some fantastic tunes. I mean, the sheer idea of Songs of A Lost World could very well serve as a conceptual backdrop for a sci-fi movie where Robert Smith leads a band of angsty teens through a post-apocalyptic wasteland, searching for the last can of Monster energy drink!
And they’ve set the thematic bar high, pulling in the *big guns* of literature. John Milton—yes, *that* John Milton, whose works dripped with the vast complexities of humanity—would most certainly get a kick out of this. His iconic epic, Paradise Lost, dives headfirst into the murky waters of good versus evil; and you’ve got to wonder if Smith and his crew have turned to Milton for some serious inspiration. After all, who needs musical notes when you have literary themes to juggle?
Romanticism: The Cure’s Muse
The concept of a lost world has been floating around long before Robert put on his signature ruffled shirt. Romanticism? Tick. Poetry? Tick. Confused youths roaming the streets with headphones on? Double tick! Their music reflects that very sentiment of longing combined with an acute awareness of humanity’s frailties—just look at how we phrase our morning coffee orders! It’s as if they bottled up those dilemmas and turned them into harmony, and now with their new album, we’re about to take another walk down memory lane, or should I say, melancholic alley.
The Future is Here
So mark your calendars, ladies and gentlemen! On November 1, we will finally have the chance to indulge in the artistry of Songs of A Lost World. It’s like waiting for the last season of your favorite show, only to realize it’s going to be a musical! Who knew that the world could fall silent for 16 years, then suddenly burst back into sound? Let’s hope they’ve at least included an appreciation for the art of levity in that mix. Just imagine: an album of raucous laughter wrapped in the trademark gloom of The Cure. Now that would be something to write home about!
So raise your glasses and your eyeliner pencils to The Cure! May their journey from the lost world be one worth the wait. Because if there’s one thing we know, it’s that good music—like a fine wine—only gets better with age. And let’s face it, after this long wait, it should at least come with a free T-shirt!
It took the entire lifetime of a teenager for the iconic British alternative rock band The Cure to meticulously compose, record, and finally release their much-anticipated fourteenth full-length studio album, Songs of A Lost World. Spanning a remarkable 16 years, Robert Smith, who has been the sole consistent member since the band’s inception in 1976, along with his talented bandmates, has crafted a musical masterpiece that could be likened to the grandeur of the Sistine Chapel—if we were to use a vivid artistic analogy to describe the evolution of rock music. Starting Friday, November 1, fans and newcomers alike are warmly invited to experience this monumental creation.
The return of legendary—and largely silent—bands in the recording studio, with new music being unveiled through social media announcements and traditional press releases in magazines or newspapers, stirs up emotions akin to an old friend returning from prolonged sea voyages after what feels like an eternity apart. Throughout their lengthy journey, such bands have faced numerous dangers, gained profound revelations, and evolved into more sensitive artists, attuned to the intricate relationship between humanity and the world—a connection that echoes back through the annals of history.
The name of the album alone evokes a profound journey that immediately invites listeners to transcend the rigid confines of space-time from the very first moments of play. It promises an immersive experience that only exceptional art can deliver, awakening the senses and stirring the soul.
We will see the concept of the lost world resonate in many works from the Romantic era, particularly in the realm of poetry. Notably, even before the rise of Romanticism, John Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost” (1667) stands as a precursor to a sweeping reevaluation of history and human values, focusing intently on the transformations and narratives of bygone eras. At the heart of Milton’s exploration lies the complex relationship between good and evil, and the profound implications of human free will in the face of these enduring oppositions.
