U2
No Line on the Horizon
2009, Interscope
rock
½
It’s interesting that my ratings for the mainstream albums on this site are pretty consistent. I could give you a very simple answer as to why that is – there’s no surprise. I hate being the conspiracy theorist that I am, but I’m pretty convinced that Coldplay’s recent album is creating waves in the music biz, but not in a good way. If you get confused somewhere in this review, just read my review for Coldplay’s Viva La Vida at the bottom of the page.
U2′s newest album is definitely a return to their gospel and folk roots from The Joshua Tree, but instead of growing from those roots they’ve essentially reinvented the wheel. U2′s trademark subtle Christian references are very heavy-handed here, such as the arrangement for “White As Snow,” which was ripped off from the Christmas carol “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” This could be the result of maturation, but I think it’s a desire to give meaning to lyrics that have no real meaning. By the end of it, this album is as much a manipulation of the human psyche as Viva La Vida was, despite its catchy hooks. Why they even bothered to make an album boggles my mind – U2 could have very easily rested on the laurels of their previous work and no one would have blamed them for it. And don’t give me the ‘it’s for charity!’ line because that’s gotten old.
“White As Snow,” “Cedars of Lebanon,” “Fez-Being Born.”
myspace, last.fm
Coldplay’s Viva la Vida…, Keane’s Under The Iron Sea
“What Do I Know?,” “Chin Up,” “To Be Happy Now,” and “The Grey Man.”
