‘A Forest’ was released as a single on 5 April 1980. Its B-side was ‘Another Journey by Train,’ The single received a mixed critical reception, though commercially its sales were an improvement for the band.

In early 1980, it spent eight weeks in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 31 on 12 April. It was the highest they had reached on the chart by that point in their career. In the United States, the song reached number 47 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart.

The Cure biographer Jeff Apter refers to the record as "the definitive early Cure mood piece" representing "the archetypal Cure sound".