The Cure return with the acclaimed 'Songs of a Lost World'
The gothic rock legends' first album in 16 years was hailed as a late-career triumph.
The Cure, the enduring gothic rock legends, returned with "Songs of a Lost World," their first album in 16 years, a darkly beautiful, meditative record that was hailed as a late-career triumph and a worthy addition to one of the most distinctive catalogues in modern music.
Fronted by their singular singer and songwriter, the band had been one of the defining acts of the post-punk and alternative eras, their music ranging from bleak, atmospheric gloom to unexpectedly bright pop, and their influence on generations of artists had been immense. But new music had been a long time coming.
"Songs of a Lost World" more than rewarded the wait. The album was a sombre, grand and emotionally weighty meditation on loss, grief, aging and mortality, its expansive, layered soundscapes and the frontman's unmistakable voice combining to create a record of considerable power and beauty.
Critics received it with enthusiasm, praising its cohesion, its emotional depth and its confident embrace of the band's signature atmospheric sound, and many hailed it as among the finest work of the band's long career, a remarkable achievement so many years in.
The album demonstrated that the band's creative powers remained undiminished, and that there was a deep hunger among fans for new music from an act whose work had meant so much to so many. "Songs of a Lost World" was a reminder of the enduring artistry of a band that had shaped the sound of alternative music, and a moving reflection on the passage of time from musicians who had been making vital, affecting music for decades.