In 2019, Robert Smith teased that a new Cure album was coming soon, news that was warmly received by longtime fans who were also hoping for something better than 2008’s 4:13 Dream. The year came and went with nothing, although a few years later the band started playing some new material at concerts.

That material turned out to be from the album that finally dropped in fall 2024, 16 years after 4:13, which is a long time to wait. It’s the first album penned entirely by Smith since 1985. It also eschews the pop side of the band and focuses on the gloomy, epic goth side, recalling the highwater mark Disintegration in its sweeping epics and long instrumental introductions. If you like the slow burn, these eight songs over 49 minutes are for you.

The moodiness is earned, though, culminating in a majestic, if dark, piece of work. It’s very similar to David Bowie’s career-capping Blackstar; not an easy listen, but a rewarding one, and one that perhaps earns the gravity of its morbidity-infused lyrics more than similar sentiments Smith expressed back in the 80s. At 65, when he intones “What became of that boy and the world he called his own / I'm outside in the dark wondering how I got so old / It's all gone,” it’s a deeply felt cry from someone with many more years behind than ahead.

That’s not to say the material is all drone. “A Fragile Thing” is carried by a two-note piano figure that never lets up, adding some drama to the song (one review likened it to a ticking clock, which is apt). “Drone:Nodrone” has some good guitar work (including a long solo) and a steampunk pulse, while “And Nothing Is Forever” adds strings to give a cinematic feel to its long-winded intro. The guitar work, by the way, is courtesy of Reeves Gabrels, former Bowie sideman who has worked off and on with Smith since the ’90s.

“All I Ever Am,” “Warsong” and “Alone” are more of the same but a little less compelling upon repeated listens; the gimmick of the overly long intro gets a little tiresome, and Disintegration was at least smart enough to throw in a pop song or two to balance the melancholic moments. Although, it must be said, the sweeping, dramatic grandeur has been missed in these last 16-plus years and all eight songs are definitely part of the fabric of this album.

“Endsong” follows the template of the above tracks but stretches to an epic 10 minutes, most of which is wordless. Much like Blackstar, you get the sense of closure here, maybe to a life, or a career, though the Cure’s current popularity suggests collaborations and live shows are very much in the future. But if this is the swan song, it’s an excellent one, the best work Smith has put out in decades and one that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with The Cure’s best non-pop work.

Rating: B+

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