Songs Of A Lost World, Indeed
The Cure’s new album, «Songs Of A Lost World», resonates around the world. Let’s take a closer look.
What else can I write that hasn’t been put down on paper? Yes, Songs Of A Lost World, the new album by The Cure, the first in 16 years, is a masterpiece. And one wonders what diabolical pact this Robert Smith must have made to still sound 25 at 65.
The album has since climbed to number one in the album charts in both the USA and the UK. Comparisons were drawn with the band's undisputed opus magnum: Disintegration from 1989. As ever, The Cure sounded dripping with melancholy and full of world-weariness. And in general, no one disagrees with this conclusion.
Transience is a constant companion throughout the album. In I Can Never Say Goodbye, Smith heartbreakingly deals with the death of his brother. «As a memory of the first time, in the stillness of a teardrop / As you hold me for the last time in the dying of the light,» laments Smith in And Nothing Is Forever.
Songs Of A Lost World is a desperate beacon, written by an ageing man in an ever faster-changing world. What is actually the perfect template for something cringeworthy works because Smith laments but doesn’t point fingers. It has always been that way with The Cure: profoundly personal but with a way of finding yourself in the songs.
When I asked on the Threads platform why the album resonates with people, Alex Storer replied: «I’ve experienced a lot of loss, so the lyrics speak to me personally on that level, but it seems to go further than that; it’s about the passing of time, the sudden feeling of being old(er) and the realisation that the world you've grown up in and been shaped by has changed for the worse.»
And Chris Jakins added: «The message may be bleak, but there's hope in the fact that they’re still saying it and sounding so good.»
And my personal favourites among the answers were provided by these two users:
I remember walking the streets of Zurich at the age of 18 with the album Bloodflowers playing on endless repeat. The soul bathed in adolescent despair, accompanied by The Cure.
Even more than Disintegration, I see a direct kinship between Songs Of A Lost World and 2000’s Bloodflowers. Both have this meandering quality; both take their time in the sprawling compositions and celebrate a warming sadness.
The success of Songs Of A Lost World is both surprising and natural. The Cure have almost prophetically chosen the perfect time for the release: at the turn of an era, while dreams and hopes were shattered in the US elections and a shock wave of bewilderment was sent to Europe. Instead of anger, discouragement and disorientation are on the agenda today. And this album is the perfect soundtrack to the question: What is happening to us right now?
At the same time, The Cure deliver the perfect anachronism, at least musically. In a music industry in which algorithms increasingly influence songwriting, the band creates a bastion of escapist, writhing anthems. It often takes minutes for Smith’s voice to ring out. Hooks in the first three seconds? Not a chance!
The ultimate pinnacle of despair and escapade remains the overwhelming Endsong, the album’s closing track.
It’s all gone, it’s all gone
Nothing left of all I loved
It all feels wrong
It’s all gone, it’s all gone, it’s all gone
No hopes, no dreams, no world
No, I, I don’t belong
No, I don't belong here
Songs Of A Lost World is unwieldy, wants you to take your time. It’s a stew album: the longer it simmers, the more often you stir it, the tastier it becomes.
This is anything but a matter of course today, especially for younger generations. And yet, the album also resonates with them. Characterised by a drastic pandemic and fears about the future, a new wave of melancholy and thoughtfulness has emerged in music, inspired by post-punk and dark wave.
Society and young people today are too fragmented to make generalised statements. And generalisations are always dangerous. But the days of escaping into hedonism seem to be over. Hangover mood. The challenges are too great to simply ignore.
The Cure and their Songs Of A Lost World create catharsis not through ignorance of the world but through empathy. Robert Smith knows how to say with his songs: I see you and feel your pain. It’s okay to feel desperate.
Edition #136
This week, we recommend the new songs by IDER, Jack White, Welsh Wolf, Oh Hazar, and AVEC.
❶ IDER – Know How It Hurts
UK’s duo IDER tease their upcoming album with another single, Know How It Hurts. With an intriguing 80s electropop groove, the song is a feminist anthem that, unfortunately, is more relevant than ever. Despite its depressing theme, Know How It Hurts finds the strength to keep on fighting through empathy.
❷ Welsh Wolf – When You Cry
As a songwriter and musician for big names like James Blunt, Chris Cornell, or Robbie Williams, Paul Freeman has nothing to prove. Now, he kicks off his solo career as Welsh Wolf, and the second single, When You Cry, sounds like a threesome between Springsteen, Rod Steward, and The Killers.
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❸ Jack White – You Got Me Searching
The walking anachronism is in a release frenzy. Relentlessly pushing for handmade music, Jack White praises heavy blues rock again in the latest single, You Got Me Searching. The wild guitar sounds misplaced in today’s music landscape, yet refreshing for exactly that reason. Rock’s never dying.
❹ Oh Hazar – Down
Introducing the German-Dutch art-pop band Oh Hazar: Their new track, Down, is a juxtaposition of relaxed verses and an explosive and loud blues rock chorus. The groove is addictive, and if one listens carefully, there are many playful details hidden in the escalating composition.
❺ AVEC – Everywhere
The Austrian artist AVEC has a unique sensibility for emotive pop songs, shaded with folky aesthetics and walking the line between accessibility and complexity. Everywhere again demonstrates her skills impressively. A galloping rhythm meets touching vocals, highlighted with sprinkles of guitar decorations.
Lose Yourself In Kush K’s «Humble In Your Highspeed»
Today, we host the video premiere for Kush K’s brand new single «Humble In Your Highspeed»—a song that pulls you in and keeps you there.
Between the feeling of drowning and a feverish dream, a song from the beyond hails. A subtle and nuanced composition seeking infinity and finding beauty in the minutest of details.
This is Humble In Your Highspeed, the new single from Zurich’s quartet Kush K, celebrating the video premiere with Negative White.
Humble In Your Highspeed is, initially, at least, soft to the touch. The guitar pulls you into an endless, dark space—accompanied by the whispering voice. But you can already hear many things moving out of your sight.
And so the song gets louder, wilder, almost chaotic. The repetitions add to a psychedelic quality. Towards the end, Humble In Your Highspeed is literally hammering away. Slow, stomping, with only the vocals remaining in the realm of dreams.
It is, by all means, a bold song. One that doesn’t compromise and requires your entire attention, and then, in a sort of demanding and merciless act, draws you into its paralysing power.
After the album Your Humming in 2021, Kush K announced—with Humble In Your Highspeed as a first teaser—their new EP, Drum Therapy, scheduled for December 6.
The Numbers Game
Stop paying attention on monthly listeners. It means nothing.
Numbers, numbers, numbers. They are all around us, making the world quantifiable and things comparable. They influence our perception of value and quality.
The soap for $20 must be better than the $2 one, right? And items priced at $3,99 sell way better compared to $4. It’s called psychological pricing.
Numbers can be used to manipulate our behaviour and our decision-making.
Okay, why do I talk about soap and pricing and numbers? At the start of this year, I left Spotify for Apple Music. But it was only a couple of days ago that I realised how free of any numbers Apple’s streaming service is. No monthly listeners, no plays, no likes—nothing.
And I also felt how liberating it is—consciously and unconsciously.
The Measurement of Music
Numbers have always played a significant role in the music industry. Charts were compiled through record sales and radio plays. In the end, for better or worse, it’s a business like any other.
Florence Besch presents new video for «Gathering Hearts»
Today, Negative White hosts the premiere of Florence Besch’s new video for «Gathering Hearts.» The song is the perfect introduction to her soothing yet punkish sound.
The beauty of Florence Besch lies in the juxtaposition. Her soothing and velvety voice collides with energetic and almost punkish instruments. A pinch of the 90s alternative completes her sound to something one could describe as dream grunge.
Gathering Hearts is the title of this Luxemburgian-German artist, which was released last Friday. But it’s also the namesake song that receives special attention with a new video premiering here with Negative White today.
Gathering Hearts, the song, remembers difficult moments. Without sugar-coating, Besch still emphasises perseverance. «Gathering hearts, growing my skin / Collecting sparks of who we have been,» she sings, symbolising finding strength within one’s own identity.
The song’s message here isn’t convoluted; it’s staring you in the face. And it highlights the two sides of struggles: Vulnerability and even despair, represented in Florence Besch’s soft voice. And the new strength from which one can virtually resurrect from such times which is reflected in the unflinching rock sound.
Edition #135
This week, we recommend the new songs by Dews Pegahorn, Friska Viljor, Yellow Couch Music, yourboykiran, and semiotic sakura & fae.
Let's forget the world for a while and enjoy new music. We have a hip-hop artist dabbling with new wave, a Swedish duo revisiting a song, and a collective driven by a passion for diversity and excellence.
A boundaries-pushing collaboration and a UK producer await you with surprises. Dig in, the Weekly5 are served.
Dews Pegahorn – Son Of A Gun
German rising star Dews Pegahorn presents his next single, Son Of A Gun. Adolescent urge collides with a smoky, raspy voice—sinking into a bed of 80s wave attitude and contemporary beats. It's a far cry from his hip-hop roots but a promising cry nonetheless.
Friska Viljor – Inbreeds (Revisited)
The Swedish duo Friska Viljor is currently revisiting some of their older songs. Inbreeds, originally released on 2022's Don't Save the Last Dance, transforms from a dense composition to a reduced folk song with a poignant highlight by the nostalgic trumpet. An excellent rework.
yourboykiran – Elixir
UK's yourboykiran has a new EP, Out Of Control, out. Taken from the release, Elixir is a thumping masterpiece of breakbeat, lined with thick basses and an oriental-inspired synth hook. Around every corner, there lures something unexpected.
Yellow Couch Music – Locust Walk (feat. H. Alonzo Jennings & Lars Haake)
Hailing from Brooklyn, Yellow Couch Music is a collaborative project helmed by Layton Weedeman. Locust Walk is a fusion of jazz and spoken word, a tribute to the jazz pioneer Sun Ra. It sounds unusual and might take getting used to, yet you can feel the musicians' passion in every note.
semiotic sakura & fae – tes ailes
The collaboration between semiotic sakura and fae that led to tes ailes pushes the boundaries, meandering between sinister ambient and angelic voices, shattering techno beats, and nocturnal synth sounds. Dark yet somehow of haunting beauty.
I didn‘t want to write this, and I didn‘t plan it. In fact, there was a post scheduled about the role of metrics in today’s music industry.
But today, it feels insignificant to write about some niche music subject.
The USA voted a fascist into their highest office despite everything we know. While sitting here, as a privileged individual in privileged Switzerland, I find myself between disbelief and despair.
But now is the time for vigilance, for conviction, for compassion. Not just in the USA but worldwide, as this election will make antidemocratic forces everywhere bolder and more aggressive.
We need to stand firm. We need not normalise this current development.
Whatever you might feel right now, we also need to remember the power of music.
I saw many people finding solace in The Cure’s Songs Of A Lost World, a sonic representation of their emotional state. Music can also energise us, give us strength and hope, and that’s what we need more than ever in this seemingly darkest of timelines.
Let’s find and share our encouraging songs, let’s continue to nurture our empathy through this unique art. Send a song to a friend in need or share it on our Discord.
I know I’ll be right here and share the music that impacts me and keeps me hopeful in the face of everything.
Best,
Janosch Troehler, founder & editor
Edition #134
This week, we recommend the new songs by The Cure, iuri, Obliecht, Sjöblom, and Flower Face.
My teenage angsty self rejoiced on Friday when The Cure finally dropped new music after more than a decade. But now, it deals with the inevitable progress of time and the impending decay.
But it's not only the legendary band that brought long-anticipated music. You'll find some beautiful finds: soothing, impressive, and unexpected.
The Cure – Endsong
16 long years, fans had to wait for new music by wave legends The Cure. Finally, Songs of a Lost World arrived—a heavy-hearted, dragging thing. Everything but an easy listen, the album's final track, a 10-minute-long epos of melancholic decay, appreciates and celebrates the long winding compositions to their fullest. Wow!
Sjöblom – Tomorrow
Dead of Night, the new album by Swedish duo Sjöblom, features an array of exquisite tracks meandering between indie and electro-pop—with a hint of post-punk and synth wave. Tomorrow is one of these groovy tracks that fuels the dancefloor for the sad. Heavy on the synths, poignant on the guitars.
Obliecht – Coastline
Rave-like composition meets the warmth of indie pop—flavoured by an unexpected instrument: the hammered dulcimer. Usually used in traditional music, the Swiss trio Obliecht showcases the angelic sound in a contemporary context. Coastline is a great taste for this forward-thinking band.
iuri – Colours
It's a heartfelt affair: Colours, the first teaser for iuri's debut album. Slow and playful, the composition allows instruments to twist and whirl. And the artist's voice comforts you with warmth and vulnerability, supported by a subtle choir that adds even more shades to this beautiful song.
Flower Face – Biblical Love
When Goth and folk music meet, it sounds like Flower Face. The Canadian artist just released the bittersweet album Girl Prometheus. And in Biblical Love, the worlds collide spectacularly. Soft and whispering, giving bedroom country, in the verses, the song erupts into a dark and dramatic anthem. Impressive!
