My Thoughts on the New U2

Okay, so, if you didn't know this already, I am a big U2 freak. I have found that most people who like U2 are ultra-enthusiastic as I am. I haven't run into many casual U2 fans. People tend to love them or hate them. I fall deep into the former category. I own all of their studio albums, I went to a music store for the midnight release of All That You Can't Leave Behind, I own a couple of their DVDs, I have the book, U2 by U2, and I am writing a post about them. So, it is important to understand that I am a hardcore fan--I just haven't joined their fan club yet; that's next on the list. My review of their newest album is very biased because of my passion for this band.

No Line on the Horizon, U2's newest release, is a unique album. I am pleased with it, but I do think that it will probably be received with mixed reactions. U2 purists may see it as over-produced and rushed while U2 Kool Aid drinkers like me will laud and applaud it. I think a number of elements really work on this album:

First, you can find elements from many different U2 albums on No Line on the Horizon. I thought that the first song, titled the same as the album, had an Achtung... sort of feel whereas "The Moment of Surrender" (my personal favorite) and "White as Snow" have hints of the greatness that was found in All That You Can't Leave Behind. You can hear sounds that are reminiscent of The Unforgettable Fire and War in other tracks, and you get a heavy dose of their mid-90's sound, which I am sure will be a bad thing for some people as Zooropa and Pop are not U2's most beloved albums.

Next, the vocals are beautiful as always, and the band does more harmonizing than they have traditionally, and I find it very enjoyable. U2 seems to be trying to be innovative while maintaining their true sound; I thought the album seemed slightly different, but it still has the U2 magic.

Finally, I always enjoy Bono's lyric writing. Bono communicates enigmatic, intentionally cheesy, and deeply vulnerable lines throughout the album that communicate his feelings on celebrity status, God, war, terrorism, and his own critics. Certain songs like "White as Snow" are powerfully packed with Biblical allusions. Other songs communicate that Bono is very thankful for his "calling." However you view U2's frontman, a close examination of his lyrics reveal a very fascinating man: he is a man who loves his life and hates his life simultaneously, he is a man who acknowledges what Christ did at the cross yet tries to achieve his own righteousness and pass it on to the world, and he is a man who knows how big he is yet suffers from intense insecurity laced with humility.

My only gripes are that the song, "Get on Your Boots," should have been titled "Vertigo 2"; it sounds totally unoriginal. And "...Boots" is an example of songs where they may have tried a little too hard with looping and other production techniques.

Overall, I believe that this is an album that will get better with use. I have found, personally, that U2's albums become more enjoyable the more you listen to them.

Besides, it isn't fair to expect them to make an Achtung Baby or a Joshua Tree on every single album.