S Poddar
Excitement has dominated social media because of some mysterious postcards coming from the Cure, which insinuate that the band might let out its first album in 11 long years. The postcards circulating online suggest that the title for their new album might be Songs of a Lost World and was probably dated November 1, 2024, due to the Roman numerals printed on each postcard.
This is an update fans have been waiting a long time for. In 2019, the band’s frontman confirmed that the band had finished recording their next album. However, more than a year down the line, it remains under wraps. Smith has not hesitated to open up about his tendency to be somewhat of a perfectionist in interviews. “Part of the reason the record isn’t out yet is that I’ve just been wanting to fiddle with everything all the time,” he says. He confessed, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, “I keep going back over and redoing [the tracks], which is silly. At some point, I have to say that’s it.”
He’s sounding emotional on this because the album has been influenced so much by personal losses-a tone shaped considerably by what he relates as a most trying time of his life-in particular, since he himself turned 65 and admitted just a few days back:. “I lost my mother and my father and my brother recently, and obviously it had an effect on me,” he said, suggesting that the new work falls on the darker side. However, he swiftly indicated that it wouldn’t be dourly doleful, even likening it to the band’s 1989 album Disintegration. “It’s not relentlessly doom and gloom,” Smith said, attempting to explain his creation of a “big wash of sound” with the record.
Actually, rumors of the album began all the way back in 2018 when he was talking about it during an interview to accompany The Cure’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Then he said he’d recently experienced a creative spark as a result of the nomination, combined with being involved in curating the 2018 Meltdown Festival in London. “Seeing all these new bands inspired me to do something new.”. As Smith observed, it is very exciting times for all of us round. He also made an appearance the same year during an interview on The John Maytham Show, where he said that the recording of the album was complete.
The latest album, 4:13 Dream, which was published in 2008, received rather positive reviews from the critics. The album hit No. 33 in the UK and No. 16 on the US Billboard 200. Since then, the fans have eagerly been waiting for the new material. All the latest developments hold promise that they are going to be rewarded with the expected reward.
The Cure added some fire to the excitement with its special double A-side vinyl released last month. The two brand-new live songs that it included are “And Nothing is Forever” and “I Can Never Say Goodbye.” Both were recorded during their 2022 Shows of a Lost World tour. Sales from the vinyl are being donated to Earth Percent, a climate action charity founded by musician and activist Brian Eno.
Meanwhile, fans have also been concerned for the health of longtime keyboard player Roger O’Donnell, who recently revealed his battle against a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. O’Donnell, 68, said he had ignored symptoms for months before a biopsy in 2023 revealed he had lymphoma. He’s now on the recovery road after months of intense treatment – eleven grueling months, to be precise – with thanks to world-class specialists that walked him through this ordeal. “I’m doing fine and my prognosis is amazing,” O’Donnell assured fans.
The band’s been making all the effort towards what may be the most important comeback in history so the excitement’s immense already. Smith’s cryptic hints, added to the postcard teaser, indicate that *Songs of a Lost World* will soon be here. If the date is true to be released, it’s the end to a 16-year hiatus of since their last album. And such a space would’ve felt by most fans of the bunch more strongly because of the waiting period. With the style and sound of the band along with incorporating Smith’s personal experiences that turned out deep into music, it’d be like an emotional journey with the sonic quality which will be unrelenting.
