THE CURE
SONGS OF A LOST WORLD
POLYDOR/UNIVERSAL MUSIC
Barring a reformation, itβs hard to imagine it ever being acceptable for most bands to take 16 years to release new music. However, this is The Cure.
Thereβs therefore an obvious sense of palpable expectation around this album, and the band plays with that almost instantly on opener βAloneβ by making everyone wait through an appropriately pomp-and-circumstance intro before exploding into grandiose majesty.
Happily, the wait hasnβt dimmed Robert Smithβs vocal power β his voice is the same plaintive gothic wail that existed as much as four decades ago, and his lyricism hasnβt suffered here either β itβs all still peculiarly interesting and entertaining.
While it would be easy to feel short-changed with an eight-track album (each track presumably taking two years to record!), they donβt short-change the listener on run time, as each song is a tapestry of cacophonous noise, particularly the epic closer βEndsongβ.
Itβs hard to poke holes in this β it wonβt be radio-friendly given the songsβ length, but then that was never The Cureβs strength anyway. This isnβt an album to be consumed in bite-size, easily consumable pieces, after all. This is a banquet designed to be consumed in the entirety and majesty of one sitting. Fortunately, the blend of ingredients tastes good. Hopefully, weβre not waiting as long for the next course.
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SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE CURE – SONGS OF A LOST WORLD
John Porter