U2 and Apple’s dip into breaking and entering with ‘Songs Of Innocence’ rubbed an awful lot of people up the wrong way. It was a vulgar display of power dressed as altruism, one that shunted the world’s biggest rock band back into the limelight for another run at the stadium market and, eventually, forced the tech giants to create a brand new ‘delete’ function.
Much like Beyoncé’s surprise release at the tail-end of last year, the manner in which U2 unveiled album 13 has become the backbone of the debate about its merits. Its 11 songs are entwined for many with a disregard for personal taste and the sanctity of a record collection.
To a certain extent, the Big Brotherisms of the album’s release have shrouded U2’s part in it all. This is an iconic band returning with new material for the first time in five years and, rather than slapping you across the chops with it, they’ve grabbed a megaphone and...told you to check your download queue. Never short of confidence, Bono and the boys have certainly backed themselves this time around.
‘Songs Of Innocence’ is vintage latter-day U2. At times it sounds absolutely massive and, with Danger Mouse at the helm, it also has a couple of tricks up its sleeve to cut through the sheen.
It won’t reintroduce the band to former fans who haven’t paid attention since the release of ‘The Joshua Tree’, though. In fact, it doesn't come close. Still, it’s not the howling dud that many have painted it as, neither is it an emblem of its disjointed recording process. It’s fine.
Its best moments occur at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) points to their early days without embracing them fully, but it does open things up in the sort of bombastic fashion that just doesn’t fit other bands. The Troubles, meanwhile, taps into LykkeLi’s uncanny knack for adding a quiet air of melancholy to everything she touches. It’s the album’s best song and rounds off a second half that has a variety of textures, something sorely lacking from much of its gleaming top end.
Unlike its release, ‘Songs Of Innocence’ is far too polite. Bono rarely indulges at all and the Edge is curiously restrained beyond the odd dash of distortion, giving Raised By Wolves, Iris and Volcano nothing much to cling to in terms of sticking around longer than their running times. Every Breaking Wave is better, but doesn’t lift the bar much above ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’ pop-rock.
The U2 blueprint is box office, but that doesn’t mean endless reproductions of it will keep having the same effect. Here, they have taken a risk in terms of the album’s unveiling, but played it too safe where it matters.
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