Songs of a Friend Who's Always There

Some bands you learn to appreciate in time. Some you like from the start and then grow on you. Others you connect with and then grow apart or drift off from them. 

Then, there are the bands you connect with instantly, from the first time and stay with you forever. The Cure is like that for me.

Have they ever been my favourite band? Probably not, but have they always been in my top favourites? Yes. Always. 

The Cure is the kind of band that's always been there for me and with me. The kind of band that sometimes quietly took the back seat for whatever new band I discovered and obsessed with at the time. But Robert Smith and the crew were always there and always came back to them. 

The Cure is the friend you don't see most often but the one you go to when you need someone you have a deep connection with. The friend you go to when you need to have a good talk. When you need to talk about deeper issues, personal issues.

I remember my first introduction to The Cure like it was yesterday. It was Saturday morning, I was watching TV at my grandparents' house. It was a children's show, but a children's show unlike any other I have ever seen. 

The stories often dealt with social and political issues and they didn't dumb things down. Then, there were a lot of artists from the Spanish alternative pop rock scene of the time who were heavily involved with the show. Often they would play music videos from international artists but they were never the obvious pop artists of the time. 

That's where I discovered Kate Bush, Midnight Oil, and The Cure. Among others.

I was ten years old when I saw the video for Close to Me. I was instantly fascinated by the music and the video. I had to get my hands on The Head on the Door immediately. I knew that was special. It spoke to me with a very unique voice.

After that, discovering their back catalogue and travelling with them ever since has been an absolute thrill. Sixteen years without new music is a very long time. But it was totally worth the wait. The band and the album sound totally reinvigorated. Songs of a Lost World is an instant classic full of layers, one that will keep growing in depth with every listen and with time.

Seeing the band playing every song of the new album live on YouTube has been such a thrill. 

I hope they keep the video on YouTube.