Songs of A Lost World: The Last Glow of a Dark Legend Called The Cure

The Cure has achieved a curious status in music history. More than passion for their current music, they generate an unwavering respect for their figure and their impact in the 80s. A complex assertion, but justified: from extreme metal to dance music, a wide range of bands today exhibit The Cure's indelible mark, a band that, paradoxically, hasn't released a truly relevant album since the 80s. That golden decade was The Cure's pinnacle, where Smith managed to blend gothic rock with pop, bringing underground darkness to the mainstream, emerging as the definitive face of a genre born in the 70s during the post-punk era.

However, the 90s changed the rules of the game. Smith, who helped shape that decade's dark and anguished aesthetic, began to fade in an era where grunge, pop punk, and industrial music took center stage. Although albums like Wish demonstrated The Cure's mastery, creative stagnation was beginning to show; innovation was dimming. By the time Wild Mood Swings arrived, it was already evident that the band was in serious trouble, while new musical currents, ironically inspired by The Cure, gained ground.

Entering the 2000s, Smith and his band barely managed to release Bloodflowers, a kind of emotional reunion with their best past moments, mainly from Pornography and Disintegration. Although deeply introspective, Bloodflowers barely managed to replicate the magic of old, without the brilliance that had characterized their most intense moments. Then followed albums like The Cure and 4:13 Dream, which led Smith to publicly acknowledge that his band seemed to be reaching the end of its creative journey.

Now, with Songs of a Lost World, The Cure faces the ambitious task of reconnecting with their golden era's essence without remaining in simple nostalgic reflection. Smith has decided to center this album on shadows, rescuing a version of himself marked by loss and reflection. Songs like "I Can Never Say Goodbye," a tribute to his deceased brother, capture this anguish with moving intensity. In a kind of cycle of influences, where The Cure's current sound feeds off bands like My Bloody Valentine, who, in turn, owe their style to Smith himself. The connection becomes palpable in "All I Ever Am," where Smith seems to pay tribute to Kevin Shields, pushing his own style to the limit in an emotional and stylistic crossing.

The first single, "Alone," reflects this melancholic essence with a subtlety that evokes Disintegration's more minimalist themes, like "Plainsong," but stripped of their pop elements. The experiment continues in "Drone: No Drone," where Smith aims for subtle innovation, with influences from Trent Reznor that, while clear, remain intentional.

And then comes Endsong. Here, Smith reaches the pinnacle of what his current vision can offer. In this piece, epic and brutally dark beautiful, The Cure's possible "swan song" finds its final voice, a last glow of glory that seems to ensure Smith and his band will remain etched in posterity. It's the kind of song that elevates Smith to the podium he deserves, a place where his influence transcends generations.

Songs of a Lost World is a singular resurgence. Although it only minimally surpasses Bloodflowers, it's a valuable effort, a dark and melancholic echo that stands among The Cure's few salvageable albums in the last four decades.