U2
Songs Of Experience

Before reading this review, I believe it is fair for me to make an important disclaimer.

I got to know U2 during the War era and loved them viscerally until AB, an album I had to digest before I could appreciate it for what it actually was—and still is. Then, with Zooropa, a slow process of estrangement began when they decidedly changed their musical approach.

The emotional detachment culminated with "All That You Can't Leave Behind," the album that marks the selling out of their soul to pop and ushered them into the abyss of repetitiveness. From that album onward, their sound has entangled itself in a plastic, artificial, overproduced, and excessively arranged veneer that I believe is not in their style. Unfortunately, the commercial flop of the POP album (which actually has substantial songs, ruined by convoluted arrangements) convinced the four Dubliners to lock away their experimental curiosity, which until then had been the common thread of all their work, in order to conform to the mainstream musical trends.

I personally consider their discography from the 2000s irrelevant, up until Songs Of Innocence. Very few songs can stand alongside the first twenty years of their career. I even consider Songs of Innocence damaging to their history. Weak songs entrusted to a team of producers whose only common factor is the damnable pop mainstream. The sense of betrayal I felt upon first listening was total.

All this to say that I am certainly not calm in reviewing the latest effort of my former heroes. And perhaps not even objective, but I believe I represent many (former) fans of the Dubliners.

The three singles released had further embittered me and convinced me that the moment had come that I never thought would arrive, that is, NOT buying a U2 album. However, users from various U2 forums shouted a miracle at the first leak, and so a mix of curiosity and hope prompted me to spend these almost 14 euros on iTunes to get this album too.

Let me say right away that Songs of Experience does not differ from the trend of the 2000s, but at least it is decidedly better than its poor innocent brother, with songs that have shed unnecessary frills, are simpler and more immediate. BUT... But they are blatantly, confidently, unequivocally, and perhaps also proudly pop mainstream, as confirmed by collaborations with the Haim, Lady Gaga, Ryan Tedder, etc. (names that, say thirty years ago, would have horrified the entire Uduic world).

The album opens with Love is All We Have Left, which made many fans shout a miracle. A miracle it is not, but it is an effective intro based on a sound carpet, almost a drone, over which Bono weaves with a velvety voice (perhaps a tone lower would have been even darker in coherence with the lyrics). Unfortunately, the problems, and big ones, do not take long to arrive when our friend makes use of the vocoder: something that cannot be endured on that wonderful voice. How to ruin a good piece by succumbing to the (shitty) trends of the moment. Another two flaws are the too sudden start compared to the calm atmosphere of the piece and the abrupt end, which could perhaps have been seamlessly connected to the next song. But we know, linked songs are anything but pop... (5)

Lights of Home is a rhythmic, predominantly acoustic piece, very well mixed and recorded, with an attached catchy chorus and plenty of repeated "Hey Now" that our guys enjoy so much. Classic verse-chorus structure, it does not have a typically U2 sound (it seems inspired by Ed Sheeran), it hosts an unremarkable solo by Edge, before the horrendous one-minute outro that reprises a verse from Iris. Too bad, until the end of the solo it deserved a pass. (5.5)

You're The Best Thing About Me. A song of such shocking banality, even Irritating when considering their past. Skip intended right from the title. (4)

Get Out of Your Own Way: it’s another of those songs that make you bless the inventor of the skip button. If Best Thing is shocking, this is embarrassing. The lyrics, which apparently have a go at Trump (and who cares about the various bombing dictators scattered around the world...), are sung over a verse whose melody resembles a nursery rhyme. The song is a clumsy mix between Beautiful Day and Invisible, with the same drum-machine sample that is becoming a nuisance. Edge's little solo is banal and repetitive. Truly awful. (3)

American Soul. Compared to the abyss of the previous two, it seems like a breath of fresh air even in its mediocrity. The sound is a bit more coherent with the lyrics, but what plunges it back into the abyss is the reprise of Volcano, one of the worst songs in their discography. But why??? (5).

Summer of Love. Finally, a splendid Edge does an excellent job and supports the entire song (as in the old days) with a somewhat atypical way of playing for him and is appreciated for the execution. The arpeggiated interlude seems like a hasty copy-paste as it comes suddenly and disconnected (added posthumously?). The song is catchy, blatantly pop, but at least pleasant, with the only drawback of echoing "Prayer in C" by Lily Wood & The Prick. It might risk becoming tiresome too quickly. (6.5)

Red Flag Day. Funk-reggae piece with an easy-easy melody; again, without Bono, you would never say it's one of their songs. Highly catchy and light, but in clear discord with the drama of the lyrics. (6)

The Showman: another clumsy acoustic attempt that barely holds up in the verse but falls down disastrously in the chorus. The only quality is its cheerfulness, but it remains ugly and useless. (4)

The Little Things that Give You Away: luckily, a little gem arrives not to make one regret the money spent so far. The studio version is definitely better than the stentorian acoustic versions heard live. Finally, you can hear U2 that an old embittered person like me wants to hear. A nearly deconstructed song like their best ones with an almost epic outro they know how to deliver. Nothing miraculous, but at least we're more focused. (7)

Landlady: After "Little Things..", the risk for today's U2 to fall short was very high, but instead, Landlady holds up quite well. The song starts threatening to be a reprise of "Raised by Wolves", but then develops its own line, with refined sounds that evoke a glorious past. But damn, when you want to, you can still do something good!!! (6.5).

The Blackout: is the inevitable pop-rock swagger of their 2000s. It's to this album what various Elevation, Vertigo, Get on Your Boots, and The Miracle (of Joey Ramone) are to their respective albums. (5)

Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way: The song dangerously hovers in Coldplay territory, including the lamenting progress of the vocal part (again ruined with the vocoder on the inevitable oho-oho). Personally, I've had my fill of "coldplayed" U2. A fairly bad song in its mainstream pop insignificance (4.5)

13 (There Is A Light): Useless closure with an even more useless reprise of one of their most useless songs (Song for Someone). Tragic absence of ideas? No, well-informed people say, these are intended reprises typical of a concept album. Perhaps... but I’ve never heard of reprises between songs from albums released three years apart. In short, it would have been much better left out of the album (4).

In general, the album is strongly characterized by Bono's performance, who remains one of the best voices around. Certainly, over time, his vocal performance has technically improved, but it has lost that interpretative touch that made it unique. He sings well, impeccably, but he puts in too much flair and too little passion. And this, in my opinion, is the main problem of their third-millennium albums, which this latest work does not exempt itself from.

Songs Of Experience, fortunately, has something salvageable, but it is overall mediocre. Some episodes, then, are so sad it seems impossible they are true. Sadly, sometimes reality surpasses fantasy.