Following some teases via Twitter last Taking one leap closer to the new Cure album being a physical reality, Robert Smith finally unveiled the title of the long-awaited, “doom and gloom” LP to NME in a video interview filmed at the BandLab NME Awards, where he performed with C H V R C H E S. (Smith recently collaborated with the band with the song How Not To Drown.)
“I know what it’s called – it’s called Songs Of a Lost World,” Smith revealed. “It’s got artwork, it’s got a running order, it’s almost done! They’re so slow because of vinyl, but it might come out as early as September, probably. I’d rather it just came out. I can’t stand the anticipation.”
Watch the full interview below
Smith said one of the two Cure albums is finished…the second one. He’s still got about a month to wrap up vocals for four of the ten tracks on the first.
Previously, Smith’s labourious songwriting perfectionism was cited as being the biggest obstacle to release, but he’s nearly there.
It has been over thirteen years for The Cure to follow up on their last album, 4:13 Dream. in 2008. Since then, The Cure have released several live albums, compilations, and concert films, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Smith’s decision to finally release a follow-up to 4:13 Dream, was “primarily because of the Meltdown thing,” referring to 2019’s Meltdown Festival in London. For the event, Smith had personally enlisted 60 artists across his 10-night “Curætion.”
“Seeing all these new bands—I’ve listened to some of these bands and met so many of them that it’s kind of inspired me to do something new,” Smith said to Sirus XM Radio hosts Mark Goodman and Alan Light during an interview.
However, forced lockdown during the global pandemic allowed Smith to sit with the material and work through obstacles in penning new lyrics, promising the return of the kind of “doom and gloom”, as found in such albums as Seventeen Seconds, Faith, and Pornography.
In January, Cure guitarist Reeves Gabrels told Ultimate Classic Rock is “finishing up” the new material. Gabrels recorded his parts in update New York, collaborating remotely with the rest of the group in England.
Last month, Robert Smith clarified that songs from the new album would be played on The Cure’s upcoming European tour this autumn.
Smith made the statement in all caps via Twitter:
“WE WILL BE PERFORMING SONGS FROM A NEW ALBUM WHEN WE NEXT PLAY… OR WE WON’T BE PLAYING AT ALL! AND I REALLY WANT TO PLAY… SO THAT MEANS… X”
Enthusiastically adding:
“…IT MEANS MY DESIRE TO RELEASE A NEW ALBUM IS OVERWHELMING! X”