The Cure tease the release of Songs of a Lost World, their first album in 16 years, with a poster outside the English bar where they played their very first gig

The Cure have delivered cryptic hints suggesting that their first album in 16 years will arrive this year.

It appears as if this Friday 13th will be remembered as a lucky one for fans of Robert Smith's band, as Songs of a Lost World, The Cure's long, long-awaited follow-up to 2008's 4:13 Dream, is tipped to arrive on November 1. 

In a fabulously minimalist and old school promotion for the record, a single poster with the name of the album, and Roman numerals which, when converted to the British day/month form, translate to November 1, 2024, was placed outside The Railway bar in Crawley, West Sussex. The pub just happens to be the venue where Smith's band played their very first show, back in 1978. 

Some UK-based fans of the band have also received postcards embossed with the album title and the same Roman numerals. In addition, the group's website has been wiped, saved for the band name and an email sign up link.

Last month, The Cure released a limited edition 12-inch 'eco vinyl' record featuring live recordings of two previously unreleased songs, And Nothing Is Forever and I Can Never Say Goodbye ,through Naked Vinyl, a record label dedicated to promoting sustainable vinyl. A percentage of the net profits was set aside for climate action charity Earth Percent, founded by Brian Eno.

“I’d like to thank The Cure and NAKED Record Club—both true innovators—for their generous support of vital climate projects through the release of The Cure - Novembre: Live in France 2022,” Eno shared in a press release. “It’s a powerful example of how the music community can work together to build a better world.”

After the release sold out, Robert Smith tweeted, “And then…,”, which is now being interpreted as a tease that the world would soon hear more from his band. The group played a number of unreleased songs on last year's 42-date Shows of a Lost World tour.