Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Rock | Heft: Jahrgang 2014, eclipsed Nr. 165 / 11-2014 | VÖ-Jahr: 2014 | Wertung: 7.5/10 | Label: Island | Autor: SaS
Let's forget the pointless discussion about the value of an album given away via iTunes. Three weeks later, the record is now available on the market; with a very expressive cover and an additional special edition, on which two more songs, two remixes and six successful acoustic versions can be heard. The burning question remains: Has it become a good U2 album, maybe even a superior one like its predecessor "No Line On The Horizon"? Well, the record is by no means outstanding. After the first run she is even quite disappointing, because the band is playing it safe, their new songs are U2-by-numbers, even the arranging hand of producer Danger Mouse doesn't help. The concept is promising: a melancholic record about their own youth, about the time when they started to get enthusiastic about music and founded a band that still exists today. And it begins strong, because "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)" is a masterful piece of music that combines melancholy with a sense of optimism. Every Breaking Wave" follows a reflection on transience that would have fitted well with "The Unforgettable Fire". In "Cedarwood Road" Bono remembers his youth in Dublin, and at the end U2 present with "The Troubles" a touching ballad about the (Northern) Irish state. In between, however, is a lot of idle. Especially the song for Bono's early deceased mother, "Iris (Hold Me Close)", sounds bloodless, and "Song For Someone", a thank you to his wife, wouldn't have been noticed on one of the last indisputable Coldplay records. You have to admit to the "Songs Of Innocence" that they still grow a bit after listening to them several times, and The Edge still knows how to save a medioque number. But you can expect more from U2 overall.
Top Track: Every Breaking Wave