When reflecting on the greatest bands of the last century, one cannot miss mentioning The Cure. Formed in 1976 in West Sussex, England, the band currently consists of lead singer, vocalist, and founder Robert Smith, bassist Simon Gallup, keyboardist Roger O’Donnell, drummer Jason Cooper, guitarist Reeves Gabrels, and guitarist and keyboardist Perry Bamonte.
The Cure was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 for their contributions to the music industry. Their sound has been described by the Hall of Fame as “post-punk, gothic rock, new wave, and alternative—but as frontman Robert Smith says, it’s all just ‘Cure music.’” Smith made underground genres of music reach mainstream heights. He was also influential in destroying narrow normalities with their image and style of performance.
Musicians who were inspired by the band include Deftones, Nine Inch Nails, Phoebe Bridgers, Adele, and many more. The peak of Smith’s career was in the 90s. The last album released before this year was in 2008 titled “4:13 Dream.” After 16 years, a new album called “Songs of a Lost World,” consisting of eight songs, is scheduled to release on Nov. 1. The band teased the upcoming album by releasing two of the eight songs early.
“Alone” is the opening track on the album. The song is almost seven minutes long; however, Smith only starts singing three minutes into the song. The band slowly builds anticipation with the obscure, melancholy, and repetitive melody in the beginning.
The lack of lyrics gives listeners time to reflect and get hypnotized into a trance of peace. The background melody throughout the track doesn’t change and is not intrusive, lullabying and cradling you. Once Smith began singing, it was clear that his distinctive voice had stayed the same as from their older songs.
“That voice had such range of emotion—from rage, and sorrow and despair to beauty, frailty, and joy…” Trent Reznor said when inducting The Cure into the Hall of Fame.
The lyrics of “Alone” are full of gloom and nostalgia, with the opening line being “This is the end of every song that we sing.” An end-of-the-road feeling arises as the song continues: “And we close our eyes to sleep/To dream a boy and girl / Who dreams the world is nothing but a dream/Where did it go?” This track is a tribute to fleeting youth, reflecting on the lack of safety and comfort felt when growing older and the absence of feeling love and passion. The idiom ‘hope dies last’ comes to mind.
“I want people to listen to it from beginning to end and be taken somewhere through that period,” Smith said in an interview with Rolling Stone. The song is about living through difficult times in life and reflecting on the good memories of the past.
“Alone” is about feeling lost and unsettled. It’s a journey of looking at the past and discovering and understanding your present self. It’s about not being ready for change but it striking you in the face. It’s about drowning in the spiral of rumination. However, it also serves as a reminder that there is always light after a dark and long night. Many feel as you do. You are not alone. The Cure has been, and continues to be, revolutionary in shaping the future of music.
