Song of the Week: The Cure Emerge in Pristine Form with First Album Single in 16 Years, “Alone”

Every week, Consequence’s Songs of the Week column looks at great new tunes from the last seven days and analyzes notable releases. Find our new favorites and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for other great songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, The Cure have shared “Alone,” the first song from their hotly anticipated album Songs of a Lost World.

In 2008, The Cure released 4:13 Dream, their thirteenth studio album. It arrived right on schedule, as, like clockwork, Robert Smith and company had dropped a full-length project every four years since 1992’s Wish. It was more or less well received, though far from anyone’s favorite Cure record. But, hey, no matter how fans felt about it, all they had to do was wait until the next United States presidential election for a new set of gothy, post-punk tunes… Right? RIGHT???

Well, The Cure did return in an election year, just not the next one. Or the next one. Or the next one. With each new calendar, whispers would circulate that this year will be the one The Cure finally returned. Hell, we’ve been saying it since at least 2022. Now, 16 years later, the rumors finally turn out to be true, as the band is set to drop their new album Songs of a Lost World on November 1st. Accompanying the announcement was the first single and opening cut, “Alone.” So, with kids born on 4:13 Dream’s release date just about legally able to drive, how do The Cure hold up in 2024?

Actually, quite well. As the introductory number for Songs of a Lost World, “Alone” serves to instantly remind fans of what they loved about the band in the first place. Sprawling out to nearly seven minutes in length, the tune is a gorgeously produced slow burn complete with blistering bass tones and shimmering synths. All the while, Robert Smith’s vocals sound as emotive as ever — even if he makes you wait to hear them.

It takes nearly three and a half minutes before Smith enters, a bold but perhaps smart choice for a “comeback single.” If you’ve already got audiences salivating, why not hold out just a little bit longer to make the payoff all the more impactful? Why not wait a normal pop song’s length before dropping in one of The Cure’s most recognizable characteristics — Smith’s vocal delivery? Once Smith does join the party, he immediately intensifies the song’s gloomy, melancholic tone. “This is the end of every song that we sing/ The fire burned out to ash/ And the stars grown dim with tears/ Cold and afraid,” he sings, wringing every bit of drama he can out of each syllable.

All in all, it’s a typical Cure affair, and not dissimilar to the opening song from 4:13 Dream, “Underneath the Stars.” Both tracks extend well past the six-minute mark, boast an elongated intro, and keep the tempo slow and brooding. They’re both awash in a lush, chime-enhanced soundscape, and they both reference stars within the first few lines.

But while “Alone” might not chart The Cure into any new sonic or thematic territories, it undeniably sounds fantastic. Anyone with affection for their music is sure to embrace it with open arms, and for good reason. Maybe it’s because they made us wait a decade and a half to hear it, or maybe Robert Smith is really just that talented that he can keep finding new, subtle ways to keep his style fresh. Whatever the case, it’s fucking great to have The Cure back.

— Jonah Krueger
Editorial Coordinator