Verdict: 3.5/5

The Cure’s first album in sixteen years, “Songs of a Lost World,” brings new themes of the weight of age and a sense of mortality for the members of the band. After such a long break, The Cure created a spectacular return, illustrating a psychedelic reflection on everything the band experienced in their decades-long career. The album’s slow, atmospheric sounds; Robert Smith’s unique, calming voice and heavy themes feel unmistakably like The Cure. But I also found the album too subdued, lacking the urgency of earlier works like “Pornography” or “Faith.” It stayed too close to familiar sounds creating a kind of repetitive tone for the later parts of the album. 

The album opens strongly with “Alone,” setting an interesting, haunting tone. Smith’s lyrics speak to loss, aging, and the creeping feeling of time slipping away. Songs like “I Can Never Say Goodbye” and “And Nothing is Forever” continue illustrating a deep vulnerability that has been less explicit in some of the band’s past work. For instance, “I Can Never Say Goodbye,” is a heartfelt and intimate dedication to Smith’s late brother, making it one of the album’s most emotionally charged moments. 

The album’s slow tempos and dark themes create a meditative atmosphere that is both somber and beautiful. Tracks such as “Drone:Nodrone,” with its creative guitar riffs, and the mournful “Endsong” show that the songs should be experienced together rather than as individual highlights. 

Musically, “Songs of a Lost World” doesn’t stray very far from the sounds of previous albums. Tracks like “Warsong” showcase Simon Gallup’s bass and Roger O’Donnell’s keyboard parts, adding a quality that recalls the band in the ‘80s. This approach brings out a nostalgic  impression on the record, but it makes the project seem like it was created with the intention of staying true to The Cure’s previous tone rather than redefining it or expanding on it. The band’s lack of an attempt at any major shifts or innovations in sound caused several parts of the album to seem very repetitive, almost boring.

In many ways, “Songs of a Lost World” is a testament to what The Cure has always been about: finding the beauty in sadness and facing harsh truths of life head-on. This commitment to their familiar style gives the album a fun, nostalgic and reflective mood, even if it doesn’t always seem fresh. Overall, it’s an album that demands both the patience of the listener and an appreciation for the mood over cheap hooks. Given all that, it is still easy to wonder what could’ve been if they had taken more creative risks.