Nearly five years after the release of ‘How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,’ Irish mega rockers U2 have finally returned to the CD store shelves with its 12th studio album, ‘No Line on the Horizon.’ But fans who have been anxiously waiting the release will be disappointed to find this to be one of the band’s worst albums.
Listeners got their first taste of the new album early last month, when the track ‘Get on Your Boots’ was released as the album’s first single. Unfortunately for both fans and the band, the track may be one of the most easily forgettable songs of 2009.
While the song itself is a clear rip-off its 2005 hit ‘Vertigo,’ the song loses all potential meaning once Bono enters with one of the worst melodies that he has ever written.
This same problem is seen again with the second track of the album, ‘Magnificent.’ While the song starts off with that classic U2 sound of echoing guitar and spacey drums, the song loses its feel once the choppy, out of place melody comes lingering in half a minute into the song.
This is not to say that ‘No Line on the Horizon’ is a complete letdown, though. While the album may not be up to par with classic U2 albums such as ‘The Joshua Tree’ and ‘Achtung Baby,’ the album is salvaged by a select few stand out tracks.
The opening track, sharing the same name as the album, was a great choice to start off the record. As the song kicks off with its distorted guitar riff and heavy drums, the listener is instantly given hope for the album to be a favorite.
The song is especially powerful for the refrain, which incorporates one of the few vocal parts on the album deemed catchy.
Another stand out track from the track is ‘I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.’ Portraying everything that makes U2 one of the most remember able bands of our time, the track would have been an excellent pick for the album’s first single. From beginning to end the track is completely satisfying, both musically and vocally.
Other notable tracks include ‘Unknown Caller’ and ‘Fez-Being Born,’ both which share a similar sound from their previous records.
While ‘No Line on the Horizon’ was a disappointment in my eyes, I am not saying that it should be thrown to the trash. Although the album has impressive tracks of’ its own, when compared to the rest of U2’s discography it is certainly on the bottom of the band’s album list.
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