Since the Cure had consistently toured around the world since the release of 2008’s 4:13 Dream album, doing everything from legendary marathon charity gigs to nostalgic stripped down lineup tours focusing on early 80s work, it almost might have seemed like any new album from them could be an afterthought. But after previewing a number of new songs on various 2023 tours in particular, the band blew all expectations out of the water with what was widely acclaimed as one of 2024’s best albums all around, Songs Of A Lost World. In many ways Robert Smith’s portraits of mood-heavy meditations on finality and endings over time had reached an unavoidable new apex, his lyrics referencing everything from the death of a beloved brother to the darker sociopolitical moods of the recent years in particular. Yet his amazingly undimmed vocal talent, long since turned from quirky squeal to an absolutely distinct instrument, was matched by strong performances from the band, now in a sextet lineup for the first time ever. The result: a glowering, powerful set of new Cure classics including “Alone,” “Warsong,” “Endsong,” “A Fragile Thing” and “I Can Never Say Goodbye” among them.