Songs Of A Lost World by The Cure

The first time my ears were exposed to The Cure, the goth rock gods here at #15, was when I first heard “Lullaby,” from their genre-defining 1989 album Disintegration. The 45 had been added to the jukebox at the Pizza Hut I worked at (at the request of my coworker and friend, Matt Leland) when I was 16 years old (so therefore this was likely sometime in the summer of 1990 — 34+ years ago), in rural Oklahoma. The internet wasn’t yet available, and I didn’t have cable (aka no MTV), so in my own defense as to why I came to The Cure so late: I had no legitimate way to hear any music outside of what limited music was being played for me on classic rock station KMOD 97.5 FM. By introducing me to The Cure in this way, at this impressionable time of my life, my friend Matt had inadvertently shifted the course of ~~time~~ my musical tastes forever.

That fall (November 1990) I purchased Mixed Up, a collection of remixes, acting as a “greatest hits” and opening for me the door to The Cure’s extended back catalog of wonderful songs. From that point I was hooked. In the following 18 years, the band released only five new albums, to ever-middling results, never able to match the majesty of Disintegration or anything from the seven albums that preceded it. I don’t know that I ever listened to 2008’s 4:13 Dream, the last album they released until the unbelievably good Songs of a Lost World came out a full 16 years later.

I could have happily listened to The Cure’s 1979-1990 catalog (plus a few singles from the later years) for the rest of my life. I didn’t need or expect any new music from the band in 2024, and I certainly didn’t expect that it would be this great. But great it is, and there’s word that even more is coming (a companion album has been hinted to come out later this year, before the band embarks on another world tour in support of it).

Songs of a Lost World evokes the same feelings the 16 year old me felt back in 1990, listening to Disintegration. The albums are very similar, and that connection is definitely intentional, despite the 35 years that have passed between them. Hit play on the video above, “A Fragile Thing (Radio 2 In Concert),” and you’ll hear that Smith’s voice and the band’s sound has not aged a day – to great effect. (The same cannot be said for Smith’s appearance – the man looks like a bloated Mrs. Potato Head that’s been bleached white from sitting atop the dump pile for far too long). When the album launched on November 1 (intentionally on the day after Halloween, at lead singer / songwriter Robert Smith’s insistence), the band performed and broadcast a three-hour live stream for all to see. They came out on London’s Troxy stage to the sounds of a dreary thunderous rainstorm, played all eight songs from the new album, took a short break and then returned to play 23 more songs from the rest of their catalog. They’ve released those first eight songs of the performance as a live album, Songs of a Live World: Troxy London MMXXIV. It is a tour de force.

Songs of a Lost World marks the first album since 1985’s The Head on the Door that was composed solely by Smith. His voice, his guitar, his orchestration, his songs – The Cure is Robert Smith, but he did not play all the instruments. Smith is the only original member of the band, but note that bassist Simon Gallup has only missed inclusion on two of their 14 studio albums. The current band lineup, as represented on the album and in the stage band, is Smith, Gallup, Reeves Gabrels on second guitar (since 2012), Roger O’Donnell on keyboards (since 1987), Perry Bamonte on keyboards (since 1990), and Jason Cooper on drums (since 1995). That’s a lot of old dudes making great music.

My head keeps wanting to draw a parallel to any other band that has enjoyed the history The Cure has. Songs came out 45 years after The Cure’s 1979 debut, Three Imaginary Boys. When The Rolling Stones, for instance, released their 2005 album, A Bigger Bang, which would have been 41 years after their debut self-titled 1964 album, was the reception as big for it by fans of the entire Stones catalog as was the reception for The Cure? I have no real frame of reference, no way to know for sure.

But it does feel as though this feat Smith and band have pulled off feels unreal. Maybe that’s how he wanted it. Maybe we’ve all been asleep for the 35 years that have passed since Disintegration came out. That was one crazy dream we had between 1989 and 2024, wasn’t it?

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Every Open Eye by Chvrches

You could see this one coming a mile away. I’ve talked a lot about this album all year, and the Top 31 is chockablock with bands that sound just like this band. But none of them are as good as Chvrches.

You may remember them from their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, which was #4 in 2013. I didn’t think Bones could be topped, and when I first heard Every Open Eye, I’d believed that. And then I listened to it again. And again. And again. I’ve been listening to it pretty much non-stop since it arrived in late September. That‘s when I knew.

Chvrches is a trio from Glasgow, Scotland. Lauren Mayberry sings lead vocals (and sometimes plays synthesizers and samplers). Iain Cook plays synthesizers (and sometimes guitar, bass, and sings backup vocals — and even lead on a couple songs). And Martin Doherty also plays synthesizers and samplers (and sings backup vocals). Strong female-led vocals on top of synthesizers; Chvrches is defining the synth-pop genre, one glorious song after another.

The video above, for “Empty Threat,” is a fun video, but it’s not the best song on the album. That would have to be “Clearest Blue,” but sadly there’s only a lyric video for that song. You can also see a video for “Leave a Trace” and a couple other lyric videos. “Clearest Blue” is the climax of this album, and demonstrates what makes this band so great. There’s nothing truly surprising about what they do. It’s derivative pop, but isn’t that what pop is all about: taking a well-defined set of tools and changing things around slightly to make it your own? That’s what Chvrches does, and they do it superbly.

I’m somewhat disappointed to say that this is only the second time a woman has topped the Bacon Top 31 in the seven years I’ve been compiling this list (Fiona Apple did it in 2012). Not only that, but I enjoyed more women-led bands in 2015 then ever before, at 10 acts. (In 2009 there were five, 2010 and 2011 just one(!), 2012 and 2013 there were six each, and last year there were nine. This is a good trend.)

While researching for this article I came across this video of Lauren Mayberry singing a duet with former #1 one band on the Top 31, The National, at this year’s Treasure Island Music Festival. Following that, there was this fun little interview between Mayberry and The National’s lead singer Matt Berninger about that performance and other lead-singer #firstworldproblems. Watch that second video and you’ll get to hear Berninger say about The National: “We are the mop bucket of indie rock,” and Mayberry about her musical ability: “I’m the emotional litmus test.” I want to have dinner with them both.

What a great year for music. It took me a while to realize that Every Open Eye deserved to be the #1 album, but after listening to it for the hundredth time, and realizing the staying power their previous album has had in my ears, it’s clear I’m going to be listening to this band well beyond the time it would be merely embarrassing for my son to admit. I look forward to being a grandpa and reminiscing about this band. Or, who knows, maybe they’ll still be producing music then, a la The Rolling Stones. Wouldn’t that be something!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the countdown as much as I have. I’m already listening to things that will be on next years countdown, but did I miss anything this year? Let me know! I always have a couple albums that I regret not having heard sooner (like the San Fermin album Jackrabbit, which I didn’t hear until a couple weeks ago). Until next year…

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2. Coming Home by Leon Bridges
3. My Love Is Cool by Wolf Alice
4. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
5. Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett
6. I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty
7. Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes
8. Another Eternity by Purity Ring
9. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian
10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

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#15 on the 2024 Bacon Top 31 — The Cure

#1 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31