By Madeleine Chong
In the 1980s, an Irish quartet took the world by storm with their anthemic rock inclinations and charisma, rising to become one of the most well-known and loved bands in the world.Decades on and numerous accolades later, there is no denying the tremendous pressure mounting on the shoulders of U2, with their 12th and latest album up for scrutiny against a horde of younger bands aspiring to emulate their music success.
Not content to plod the conventional ground of stripped-down, back-to-basics rock as found on their recent albums (All That You Can't Leave Behind and How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb ), U2 has dug deep into their experimentalist beginnings to come up with an offering in a similar vein to 1991's Achtung Baby.
No Line On The Horizon (NLOTH) is an exploration of sounds, a layering of atmospheric styles and textures on a vast sonic canvas that ebbs and flows from start to finish.
The title track sounds promising with an infectious guitar groove kicking things off at the start. The Edge is in top form here, but Bono's vocals seem to have taken a backseat, sounding almost distant and ragged.
"Magnificent" has classic U2 magic written all over it, from the rolling guitar riffs to the spirited lyrics and the uplifting surge of Bono's vocals as he proclaims "Magnificent" over and over again. The power-charged "Breathe" is exhilarating and will no doubt be a crowd favorite when U2 makes its stadium rounds.
Introspective moments come in the form of soulful ballads like "Moment of Surrender" with its use of organs and gospel-tinged refrains. Bono's voice crackles with raw intensity and vulnerability here and he can (almost) be forgiven when he starts to bring in the seemingly random subject of "punching in numbers at the ATM machine." "White As Snow" draws the listener in with its subtle strains and haunting lyrics of a dying soldier's final words in Afghanistan.
Just as NLOTH has its gems, certain tracks don't quite hit the right notes. "Get On Your Boots" is a mess -loud, raucous and bordering on cheesiness with lyrics like "The future needs a big kiss, winds blow with a twist."
Somehow, the notion of Bono yowling out "Hey sexy boots…sexy boots yeah…" isn't very sexy or appealing at all. The bass is thumping but sounds like it's doing all it can to hold the song together. It makes one wonder why U2 decided to make this a single when there were other stronger options to choose from. "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" smacks of formulaic safe rock and hinges on boredom.
Although U2 should be lauded for their efforts at constant reinvention and pushing the envelope in the rock genre, NLOTH possesses neither the iconic qualities of The Joshua Tree or the radical yet relevant magnetism of Achtung Baby. The album lacks consistency and strong, solid melodies in the vein of hits such as "Beautiful Day" and "Vertigo". Some tracks are better than others, but you'll be hard-pressed to find one that takes your breath away.
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