U2 bring us a spectrum of emotions in a return that comes at a time when we most need their sound. They sound as good as ever, loud and feature some incredible co-writers.
Very few of us have been alive long enough to note that this is U2 with their 16th studio album release. The legendary band doesn’t need a review from me, but there are rare moments where I feel confident enough to listen to a U2 album and share my thoughts on it. At a time where nothing seems to make sense and words cease to have the same kind of meaning they did earlier, U2 returns with their positivity, charisma and depth at a time where you would essentially write it off. This is their latest album, Carnaval De Luz. Welcome to a festival of lights.
Words that make a mark
In my early years as a teen, I had a book called “The 100 Greatest Speeches in History”. Bono’s address at the UN was one of the speeches I remember vividly. His choice of words, “a continuous hope for peace, love, and caring around the world”, is a message several bands have followed but not with the complexity that U2 imbibes. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows. They speak of the darker matter as well but not as directly. It’s the emotion and intention behind it all, and we all know how much they love metaphors.
Now more than ever I hone in on Bono’s lyrics and simple demand of freedom, peace, and love across the globe. With The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. helming the rhythm section, I must say that these grooves are masterful, to say the least. If you are someone who has always listened to YouTube, you know how, evidently, the rhythm section stands out and how the chorus invites you to sing along with them. Starting with the quick and snappy “Go,” the title track gives you a joyous reason to really get invested in the album. Bono’s vocals sound ageless, brimming with the same passion they did five decades ago.
That recognisable sound, again
Talk about the recognisable guitar part. The Edge never does disappoint, and “La Reina” is an evidence-based thrill that tells you the amount of detail he puts into the output of the guitar sound. It’s more riff-led rather than the layered reverb pattern he chooses on softer tracks. The melodies are countered with a real lift during the chorus, and it serves as a classic pull back to the U2 that fans have been hooked on for decades.
You really can’t compete with this band’s harmonies. The Edge and Bono float as a duo made in heaven with the track “Street of Dreams.” This was their lead release for this entire era of change that they’ve been campaigning for. It’s definitely a standout on this album and a recognisable melody that you’ll start seeing complete stadiums chanting together. If anyone knows how to write a song for collective humanity to sing together, it’s this band.
Establishing a band’s legacy
There is only a certain age bracket before which people know what a big deal U2 has been to global music. Apart from their famously long residencies, which would be sold out for more than a month full of shows, they have kept their message and language simple enough to unite fans from all over the globe. Their 360 tour had them experiment with sound and stage design that is the foundation for the crazy stuff you see today. Yet, they’ve never really lost touch on the music side of things.
And collaborations galore. Other than Brian Eno on several key songs, U2 has co-written with Martin Garrix. Dolly Parton and on this next track, “The Mirror Maker”. Rosalia represents her signature vocal style with a performance that is a great complement to Bono’s voice and register. The groove is a powerful swing, and Bono absolutely crushes with the lyrical work as usual.
How the poetry unfolds
As the band chance on more relevant troubles and observations of the world with “Superficiality”, I find this balance between lyrical, vocal effort and instrumental detail waning with the bands of today. Call it a style factor, a degree of obsession and an established style that leads the string to them. A multi-millionaire band like U2 parading world peace, love and care doesn’t have to be scorned – you’ll always see instances of it happening time and again. The greed to gain more knowledge and explore things other than as presented seems to be rarer than ever.
With the more emotional “If The World Is at War, We Better Not Be” and groovier “Silencio” and layered “The Greatest Show on Earth”, U2 makes a sprawling footprint on styles that are past and more present. The Edge shows us that one guitar can sound like 15 with the right kind of overlapping, riff writing and effort. The emotional heartstrings are constantly tugged, and that’s because I get to listen to it as a writer and admirer. I can easily also see how someone would find this a loop of the same “hope” being marketed and re-marketed.
With Dolly, a memory
This is the same message a multi-million-dollar franchise like Coldplay continues with as well. U2 know how to write right, even on collaborations with Garrix on Glorify. A big chorus is always awesome to hear in EDM, which is why remixes of this band are so popular. Though I didn’t find the next two tracks after to be standouts, the crescendo builds to its peak with Torn.
This is essentially Dolly Parton’s last singing part before her passing. The way she can unite so many schools of thought, music and styles will always inspire. Her country charm plays on a minimal background – as the instrumental swells in characteristic U2 fashion. A simple, yet extremely present track that becomes heavier with the loss. It’s kudos to the production, lyrical themes and storyline in this album to become a smattering of light. Dark, glowing, flickering, bright-it changes between songs and around themes. Light is what we need now, and U2 are still carrying the torch:
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Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
