Review: U2 Pulls Out All The Stops in Songs Of Experience
As has been well documented, I am, to put it mildly, a big U2 fan. And these days, due to both the sheer number of years they've been relevant and the level of quality of 'U2 at its best', there are rarely fans of any band harder to please than those of U2. I will admit, though not quite to the extent of my father, who is yet to listen to an album of theirs since 2004's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, I am guilty of that abnormally high expectation, too. I know the feeling well: with every new song or album release, the eager anticipation rises; then, mere seconds into the first listen, we're throwing our hands up and scoffing at how far the lads have fallen since the days of Joshua Tree and Unforgettable Fire. Critiquing U2-- and any other 'classic' act, for that matter --is often difficult because one can not pin down to analyze their latest work as relative to their previous work, or as relative to the music of today. With their last 2 albums, for example, I have conceded that their work is far from their finest, but also felt guilty doing so, as such an assertion belied the fact that they were still among my favorite listens of the year. This is all a long-winded manner of explaining that I went into Songs Of Experience with my hard-to-please nature in full force, bracing myself for disappointment. I must say, I came out of it with more than acceptance: Songs Of Experience got my attention from the start, enchanted me with a run of terrific tracks, and solidified its place as far superior to either of its two predecessors, if not more.
The opening track, "Love Is All We Have Left", is the closest thing to Coldplay-esque I've heard from U2. Many would gag at the comparison, but I won't complain; they pull off the demure opener, the opening line of "Nothing to stop this being the best day ever", and the auto-tune (yes, auto-tune) expertly. It's the kind of experiment that may cause older U2 fans to pull their hair out, with accusations of desperate attempts by old men to stay relevant and 'hip.' But strangely, it doesn't feel that way to me; without a hint of inauthenticity in Bono's voice (whether real or automated), it instead strikes me as something Bon Iver could perform without so much as a blink.
"Lights Of Home" comes next, with Bono, The Edge, and Larry Mullen all flexing their ground-stomping Blues mettle. "I shouldn't be here 'cause I should be dead," growls Bono, a clear reference to his serious accident in 2014, and though that edge (ha!) comes through, the hopeful chorus has a rewarding, mollifying feel of contemporary soft-rock.
Sure, "Love" and "Lights" isn't the opening 1-2 punch of albums of yore, but they serve as a solid lead-in to one of the most satisfying stretches of U2 tracks in recent memory. The glorious stretch from Songs 3-7 begins with the lead single, "You're The Best Thing About Me." It's not U2's best single, but it's a more captivating listen than "The Miracle Of Joey Ramone", "Get On Your Boots," "Elevation"...perhaps even "Vertigo." Though the chorus runs the risk of being about as vapid as the song's title itself, its heartfulness is beautifully complemented by the rousing, sharper verses.
Next follows "Get Out Of Your Own Way," arguably the strongest song on the whole album. The song leans on the titular refrain, but not as a crutch, more as a call-to-arms, a plea to America the country, and America the individuals. This track and "American Soul" is bridged by a Kendrick Lamar interlude (which, yes, of course is bound to make me like a good album even more); the rapper's verses flip the focus of the Beatitudes of the Sermon On The Mount-- "Blessed are the bullies, for one day they will have to stand up to themselves", for example --as an attempt to shine a light of accountability on those who are rich in material but not in morality. "American Soul" itself kicks into high gear, a true rock song singing the praises of the American music that inspired U2, but really, the multicultural energy and celebration of all peoples that is at the heart of the country's identity.
Closing out the run of "endless Repeat button-worthy" tracks are back-to-back beauties "Summer Of Love" and "Red Flag Day." The former, a soft song centered around an absolutely delicious guitar hook, very well could be a breezy ode to California; don't let the style or title fool you though, the lyrics unmistakably tell a story of the Syrian refugee crisis. That lyrical theme comes into play in the latter song, too; an almost Killers-like melody encourages the recipients of the message to be brave and bold, to "get in the water" even if the proverbial beaches are displaying the red flags.
This is not a perfect album, and thus, it would be remiss of me to simply gloss over the weaker points of it. For starters, after "Red Flag Day", the album clearly loses momentum down the stretch. That's not to say none of the later songs are worth listening to. In fact, they're all decent-to-good as well! U2 does 90s grunge-pop in "The Showman", U2 does Coldplay (again!) in "Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way", U2 does The Black Keys in "The Blackout", and Bono sings a lovely ballad to his wife in "Landlady." However, in nearly all of their work, there are one or more absolute gems tucked away in the closing tracks. That is not the case this time*, and it may signal a dropoff in interest for the last 4 or 5 songs.
*Not the case, that is, unless you count the Deluxe Version's remix of "Ordinary Love." That's cheating of course, because the original song was released for the 2013 film Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. But still, Paul Epworth's remix is probably the first time I've labeled a U2 song as a "banger."
The more striking drawback, and this is likely the main culprit for the mixed reviews from critics: the lyricism, which is what propelled U2 to the strata of "great band" is oft-simplistic, or reaching. Not to an annoying extent, but certainly in instances that make us yearn for the imagery and conviction of albums past. There are several lyrical (and occasionally, musical) connections to 2014's Songs Of Innocence. Ideally, I assume, U2 wants the albums to be seen as 2 chapters from the same book, and had it transpired as such, those lyrical and musical throwbacks would be neat. But, considering the time gap between the two, as well as the musical difference between them, there does not seem to be much natural continuation, and thus those repeated themes seem gimmicky, even lazy.
I have always been big on lyrics, too, so I recognize how jarring it can be to hear a great lyricist provide vapid or sub-par lines. (See: Kendrick Lamar's guest verses on every pop radio hit, ever.) But, I find the strong points of wordsmanship enough to counteract the disappointments. More significantly, Songs Of Experience pushes U2 musically, more so than any album since All That You Can't Leave Behind, really. The result is a sonically pleasing experience, with enough moments of typical poignance to remind you that these old guys haven't lost their step.