The Cure - Alone

2024’s latest big comeback is one of the best of the year.

English gothic rock legends The Cure had been dormant for sixteen years following their 2008 album “4:13 Dream”; on September 27th, however, they finally made their return, with “Alone” - the lead single from their upcoming fourteenth studio album “Songs of a Lost World”. And, if this single is anything to go by, the album is likely to be right up there with their classic work.

“Alone” is a sprawling, nearly seven-minute track; the first three minutes of its runtime are taken up by a dark, monumental instrumental intro, with loud, punchy drums, melancholic piano and strings, and haunting synths. This intro does an excellent job of re-immersing the listener into the band’s signature grand, eerie atmosphere.

Despite the fact that this is the beginning of a new era for the band, it is laced through the carefully constructed lyrics with themes of an ending, of everything crumbling down, leaving nothing behind. Frontman Robert Smith’s recognizable melancholic, longing vocal tone fits these themes perfectly, as he laments the collapse of all of humanity’s hopes and dreams, concluding: “Broken voiced lament to call us home/This is the end of every song we sing, alone”. 

Alongside the lyrics, another huge contributor to the somber atmosphere of the song is the production. “Alone” is produced in all the finest traditions of The Cure’s music, with Smith’s vocals very high in the mix, but still synergizing and blending well with the layered instrumental, which has a wide, all-encompassing sound, allowing the song to build its dark, mournful grandiosity. 

Overall, “Alone” feels like something new, a step forward, but without foregoing any of The Cure’s most well-known and acclaimed traits, such as their gothic stylings and Robert Smith’s haunting lyricism. It is a very promising start to the “Songs of a Lost World” album cycle, and a fantastic reintroduction into the music world for the iconic band. 

8.9/10