SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
The Cure, the English rock band that for decades has ruled over a dark and mysterious corner of music, has just released its first album in 16 years. "Songs Of A Lost World" is moody and dramatic, and also romantic and melodic. All of this should be music to the ears of fans who have loved the band since the '80s when they were releasing albums with names like "Disintegration" and "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me." So what does The Cure offer listeners in 2024? NPR music critic and correspondent Ann Powers is here to talk us through the new album. Hey, Ann.
ANN POWERS, BYLINE: Hey, Scott. How you doing?
DETROW: I'm good. I'm a little surprised by this. Is it fair to call this a surprise?
POWERS: Well, yes and no - I mean, The Cure has been playing songs that are on this album on tour for a while, and the fans knew it was coming. But what is a surprise, I think, is that this is one of the best rock albums of the year. It might be...
DETROW: Ooh.
POWERS: ...The best rock album of the year. I mean, the music sounds right in line with The Cure's classic albums, like "Disintegration," but it still sounds totally fresh and relevant, like the song "And Nothing Is Forever."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AND NOTHING IS FOREVER")
THE CURE: (Singing) Promise you'll be with me in the end. Say we'll be together, that you won't forget. However far away, you will remember me tonight.
POWERS: I mean, part of it is that this is really a band album. I mean, Robert Smith, the main guy in The Cure, he did write all of the songs on this record. But even though the group hasn't released an album since 2008, this version of the band has been touring with basically the same lineup for more than a decade. And, man, they are tight. They are on fire. I want to shout out the rhythm section in particular - the drummer, Jason Cooper, and the bassist Simon Gallup. They just keep this engine running even when the songs get really huge.
DETROW: Let's talk about Robert Smith, though, for a moment 'cause - one of those guys who just seemed old for his time in his 20s, right?
POWERS: (Laughter).
DETROW: Now he's 65.
POWERS: Icon of ennui (laughter).
DETROW: Now he's 65, though. So how does that melancholy translate at this phase in the band's career?
POWERS: Well, you know, Scott, sometimes with an artist, you think, wow, they were always meant to be where they're at now.
DETROW: Yeah.
POWERS: And that's, to me, the essence of this record. It turns out that the intensity that the band conjures in their songs - you know, songs that deal with death and loneliness and inner and global conflict - actually, it is perfect for someone who is 65, you know? I mean, it's really perfect for someone in a later chapter of his life. This album, "Songs Of A Lost World," addresses the deaths of several of his closest family members, his parents and his older brother, who was one of the guys who brought him into music. Smith's floating existential dread was always kind of his brand, you know? But now he's in a real face down with mortality, and that's very powerful - like on this song, "I Can Never Say Goodbye."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I CAN NEVER SAY GOODBYE")
THE CURE: (Singing) There is nowhere left to hide. And I can't wake this dreamless sleep however hard I try.
DETROW: You know, The Cure is known for being gothy. But then they also have these huge hits like "Friday I'm In Love," like, a totally different sound. Any of that in this album?
POWERS: I'm glad you brought that up. So basically, there's two Cures in one band. There's the fun, quirky, hit-making band, like you mentioned, you know, "Friday I'm In Love." Those are fun songs. We love to hear them on our greatest hits of the '80s compilations or whatever. But then there's also this, like, totally locked in, almost metal-level rock monster of a band, whose songs just stretch out for eight or 10 minutes at a time, and who really take you on a psychedelic journey. And this album is in that camp. That's what you're getting with these songs. Even though there's, like - there's still the essence of a hook in many of these songs.
DETROW: OK.
POWERS: We'll still sing along.
DETROW: One thing The Cure hasn't really been over the years is a political band, right? Though...
POWERS: Yeah.
DETROW: ...Maybe a bit of a shift here with one particular song, "Warsong," that does address big, weighty issues. Is this a pivot?
POWERS: Well, I thought it was when I heard the song, but then I did a little research and found that Smith has said that that song is about a relationship, you know, one of those friendships where you fall out and you make up, and you fall out again. But the sound of it, to me, it just takes it to that bigger scale. I mean, it feels like a battleground when you're listening and I - to me, it resonates about the global situation that we're all in.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WARSONG")
THE CURE: (Singing) Oh, it's misery the way we fight. For bitter ends we tear the night in two.
DETROW: And as much as I hate to say it, it's a long time from the '80s.
POWERS: (Laughter) Yes.
DETROW: It's a long time from that post-punk era, where The Cure really made its mark. Why do we need this band now? What does The Cure have for us in 2024?
POWERS: You know, The Cure offers us really immersive music, dealing with the most, like, intense and difficult emotions that humans experience. And let's face it - we're in a challenging moment in history right now, and just falling into an album like this, for me, it helps me cope.
DETROW: Well, that's a good thing.
POWERS: Yeah, we need it.
DETROW: That's NPR music critic and correspondent Ann Powers talking about the new album from The Cure called "Songs Of A Lost World." And you can hear more of her thoughts on the NPR music podcast, New Music Friday. Thanks a lot, Ann.
POWERS: Thank you so much.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
