The Cure’s Alone: A Beautifully Operatic Expression of Longing and Despair

The Cure’s Alone is that band’s first single in roughly 16 years. If that wasn’t enough, it is the lead single off an upcoming record…which has Cure fans everywhere getting dusting their lipstick, eyeshadow and hairspray in anticipation. Not since the band’s comeback record The Cure in 2004 have fans been so excited about a new record. However, how will Bobby’s vocal and the band’s mix of emo romanticism play in 2024? Let’s find out together.

First off, The Cure have been lumped into the emo surge of the 90s and early 2000s, which is mainly due to Robert Smith’s Joker-esque make-up and Eraserhead / Final Fantasy VII hairstyle. However, I find the band largely romantic and optimistic with tracks like Just Like Heaven, Friday I’m in Love, Lovesong and The Lovecats. This is in stark contrast to their contemporaries The Smiths who also had great poppy hooks, but focussed on misery, regret and emotional suffering. I often think both bands are lumped into the same pile due to similar sounds, but are radically different thematically…well…until now.

The Cure’s latest track Alone is operatic in both scale and theme. For starters, this track is over 6 minutes long, which seems like a Miles Davis’ jazz improv jam compared to most sub 3 minute singles out now. You would be forgiven for thinking Alone is an instrumental because Smith’s vocal doesn’t even kick in until the 3:20 mark. Before his dark velvety vocal fills the space, the track has some raw percussion and guitar riffs against the backdrop of expansive strings and synth. The percussion and guitar is so tight and powerful that it will hit your soul. The syth and strings let you know you are in store for more than your usual quick hit Cure pop track. This track has scope and drama, which highlights the band’s growth from its early pop days.

Smith’s vocal is timeless and as unique and theatrical as ever. It has this depth, romanticism and darkness to it that is hard to explain. This romanticism was usually reinforced by the lyrics. The Cure were largely singing about being in love, wanting to be in love, remembering when they were in love or the promise of future love…the core theme was usually love. Not so in Alone. This is about “the end of every song” and when life stops. Smith sings about how dreams die, how we grasp in vein for our past joys as everything comes to an end. Not really “Friday I’m in love” is it? In fact, there is not much about love at all. This track is not about beginnings, but about the cold realisation that we will all die alone as our world ends.

This Cure track is very anti-Cure, yet the core is still there. The glittery pop of early records is replaced with syth and raw guitar riffs. The romanticism of love has made way for the cold hand of death…and yet…and yet…everything I love about the Cure is here. The band is extremely tight on this track and Smith’s vocal has all the theatrical drama I love. Even though this is a dark track, Smith and the band elevate it to an operatic expression of the human condition. I am very excited for the record and this is going to score high on my top 50 of 2024.

Listen to Alone