S Poddar
Justin Hawkins is saluting The Cure and its new single “Alone,” even though Robert Smith, the face of the band, has been very vocal in saying that he does not care for The Darkness. This is after Smith had earlier given The Darkness a soubriquet “a comedy band” which got people buzzing.
With The Cure preparing to drop its new album, Songs of a Lost World, its first in 16 years since 4:13 Dream, Hawkins is excited by the prospect of what their new material holds. Fans are more than enthusiastically ready for this release, especially after “Alone,” which proved to be a hit and will now be used as the lead single from the album. On October 6, The Cure teased fans with the second single teaser, “A Fragile Thing,” through their fan WhatsApp channel and mailing list. This later teaser appeared on their social media platform on October 7.
The new songs were already part of their live performances, starting with the debut at a 2022 concert and previewing some of the things they have been promising for the album, which drops officially on November 1. Hawkins is known for his strong, aggressive vocals and flamboyant stage presence, and he recently opened up about what The Cure has done with its new music. He said, “He just has that gift that was so undeniable. Although it was a little irritating when he tore into The Darkness, that aside, he is just bloody great.”
Smith’s controversial statements about The Darkness began in 2004 with an interview to Rolling Stone, in which he declared, “I can honestly say I hated Queen and everything that they did. To have that rehashed [with The Darkness] and reheated for a second time around is pretty weird.”. So, no, I don’t like The Darkness at all. I think they are a comedy band. This must be extremely painful to Hawkins, imprinted as he has been by Smith’s singing style for a lifetime now.
Hawkins responded to Smith’s criticism in a recent video posting on You Tube, stating: “I heard Robert Smith saying some disparaging remarks about the flamboyance and [how] he just doesn’t like Queen, I suppose.”. I took that as a personal slight, and he may have said something bad about The Darkness. I may have heckled him once at the Ivor Novello Awards or some award ceremony somewhere when I was very, very, very drunk.” He elaborated, “But that’s only because it hurt me so much.”. I think the way I enunciate when I sing and Englishness of the pronunciation is certainly inspired by Robert Smith. He is one of my favorite singers, funnily enough. I only heckled him because I was hurt that he didn’t like my music.
However, that’s not enough as Hawkins also managed to demystify “Alone”. He rendered comments on the song’s instrumentals and vocal melodies as he noted developments of Smith through the years. “Whatever he’s been doing for the last 16 years, it works,” Hawkins said. “You can hear something in the timbre of his voice that’s a little bit Jeff Buckley.”. “I know he is not exploring the same ranges as Jeff Buckley, but he is not only emoting; he properly sings.”
Smith himself has cited that the track “Alone” was inspired by Ernest Dowson’s poem Dregs, and therefore the lyrics have even more to say than what those words can say. This has all been the themes of Songs of a Lost World, which the band members have largely repeated; Smith has also depicted it as reflective of some of the darker experiences he has faced within the recent past, mainly post the death of his family members. In an interview with NME, backstage at the 2022 BandLab NME Awards, Smith said that they had been working on two albums simultaneously. He described Songs of a Lost World as “relentless doom and gloom” in describing the second project more upbeat.
The long-awaited album has been discussed for ages, and Smith avowed that there was no kind of official beginning of this album because it has been drifting in and out of his life for like an awful long time. I mean, if I have one regret, it’s that I said anything at all about it in 2019 because I really shouldn’t have done that.” Before the album’s release, The Cure will play two dates for the BBC in late this month. Fans can apply for tickets to the first date from the BBC’s website before 9 PM BST on October 9.
Meanwhile, there are The Darkness, causing ripples of their own – Hawkins and his friends announced a new album titled Dreams On Toast, new UK tour dates, and the lead single “The Longest Kiss”. And so both bands wait for good news in releases and performances to all with fans easily having something to look out for.
