It’s fair to say that the release of a new U2 album is always a little bit of a musical event, and fans of Bono and the boys have waiting since 2004 for a follow up to How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
But No Line on the Horizon is, at long last, here and it’s interesting to see that they have once again worked with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois who were part of the production team on The Unforgettable Fire and Actung Baby.
And with their latest release they seem to have moved away from the big rock epics, apart from the first single Get On Your Boots; The song really does stick out like a sore thumb and you have got to wonder why they would want to release this awful record at all. It is the loudest track on the album and you can only think it’s there as a we are back sort of single release.
Get On Your Boots really has to be the band’s worst three and half minutes from their thirty year career and it really has divided the critics, but with a sound that doesn’t suit them and a string of clumsy and downright strange lyrics it really isn’t their finest hour and the album’s weakest point.
The title track opens up the album as Bono’s gravely vocals dominate the rather spatial musical arrangement and it really is a powerful opening accompany this with The Edge’s easily recognisable rifts and this is a standout moment.
Magnificent really is one of those classic songs that you expect to find on a U2 album and these boys really can produce big songs like this in there sleep; they seem to do it with every release.
Moment of Surrender and Unknown Caller continues the mid-tempo and powerful yet laid back opening, with three of these four songs tipping five minutes.
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight picks up the pace and Bono’s best vocal performance on the whole record. There’s a euphoria that surrounds the song, that’s not unlike something you would find on a Led Zeppelin track, but it’s a real radio friendly song that will hopefully be a single release.
No Line on the Horizon is U2’s twelfth studio release and it is the best album for a few years, proving to be far superior to How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and All That You Can’t Leave Behind.
And while this record is excellent and sounds great blasting out of the car stereo Cedars of Lebanon does round off No Line on the Horizon with a whimper rather than a bang which is a disappointment.
Despite this No Line on the Horizon is the band’s best album for many years and will not disappoint the U2 faithful and any flaws that exist on the record will all be forgotten when they take these new songs on the road.
Skip to:Magnificent and Moment of Surrender
Rating:5/5
FemaleFirst - Helen Earnshaw