U2 - 'No Line on the Horizon' Review

No Line on the Horizon, the latest album from U2, may share similarities to the group’s last two records, All That You Can’t Leave Behind and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, but it actually improves on their attempts at capturing a more reflective, mature sound. U2’s albums this decade have struggled to return to the classic styles of established masterpieces like The Joshua Tree, but No Line on the Horizon successfully and winningly recaptures the yearning quality of the band’s early days while at the same time takes smart creative risks reminiscent of experimental ‘90s efforts like Achtung Baby.

After the backlash against the electronica elements that started to creep into U2’s work during ‘90s albums like Zooropa and Pop, the band made a conscious choice to revert to their anthemic guitars-and-drums sound for their next two records, the critically-acclaimed and bestselling All That You Can’t Leave Behind and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. While neither record was a dud by any stretch of the imagination, they felt tentative – the product of a band trying to rectify their old “classic” persona with their more adventurous present self. Though great songs came from this period, too often U2 were weighed down by Bono’s increasingly heavy-handed lyrics and the band’s pleasant-but-dull mid-tempo ruminations on aging and the state of the world. Well, Bono may still have his cringe-worthy moments on No Line on the Horizon, but the music has regained its dynamic qualities.

Like their last two albums, No Line on the Horizon is dominated by gently reflective ballads. But whereas their previous records started to bog down under the weight of so many similar-sounding tunes, No Line’s gorgeous ballads have a striking, urgent feel to them. “Moment of Surrender” and “Unknown Caller” balance studio trickery with conventional songwriting technique, calling to mind the band’s ‘80s material while still seeming contemporary. As has always been the case, U2 albums rise or sink on the lyrical texture of the Edge’s fantastic guitar work, and No Line features plenty of the man’s signature solos and liquid strumming. But with that said, the subtle instrumental additions, such as keyboards and horns, add to the elegant textures of these softer songs.

As they did with Atomic Bomb, U2 have launched No Line on the Horizon with a hard-charging single, “Get on Your Boots.” But as with Atomic Bomb’s “Vertigo,” “Get on Your Boots” contains a lot of surface pleasure but isn’t a standout track – it lacks the heart and grit of the album’s best moments. For a better up-tempo number, skip right ahead to the next song on No Line, “Stand Up Comedy.” Riding a funk-edged guitar riff, “Stand Up Comedy” feels in tune with the sexier industrial rhythms U2 started incorporating around Achtung Baby. Bono’s cries to “stand up for your love” are unquestionably goofy, but the track struts around with a winning confidence. It should be a pretty fun single once it hits radio.

U2 Get Back to Experimenting:

U2 didn’t abandon experimentation after Pop, but they certainly made sure that such tendencies were buried within the fabric of their songs. Unfortunately, their albums from this decade didn’t always benefit from that more subdued approach – what happened instead is that the songs felt merely atmospheric, lacking potent hooks. That problem is less apparent on No Line. On a track like “White as Snow,” which is based on the religious hymn “O Come, O Come, Emanuel,” U2 have created a song that doesn’t sound like much of anything they’ve ever done before and, yet, feels very much in keeping with their reputation for searching, openhearted material. It took them three albums, but U2 finally figured out how to balance envelope-pushing risk with universally accessible rock music.

Lately, Bono’s ripped-from-the-headlines lyrics have been a liability, but on “White as Snow” and “Cedars of Lebanon,” he’s fashioned compelling current-events tales out of a few words. Also noticeably different is a return to (mostly) unaffected singing. He does a grating Elvis Costello impression on “Breathe” and occasionally slips into self-righteous solemnity elsewhere, but he manages on No Line on the Horizon to come to terms with his faltering high-end, utilizing spoken-word casualness when necessary and refraining from theatrics. Bono will forever be a ham – half frontman, half thespian – but he’s dialed it down a bit for No Line, which is a welcome relief.

U2's 'No Line on the Horizon' - Bottom Line:

Ever since Pop met with indifference and scorn, U2 have sought to reinvent themselves as a mature, traditional rock ‘n’ roll band. But on All That You Can’t Leave Behind and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, that stab at maturity often meant playing it safe. No Line on the Horizon isn’t a groundbreaking record like Achtung Baby was, but it does represent a willingness to try new approaches within the confines of what U2 can do very well. The album’s release was delayed because, according to the band, they needed more time to get it right. Listening to the final product, there may be no way to know what last-minute touches were warranted, but they certainly achieved their objective.

Best 'No Line on the Horizon' Tracks:

“Moment of Surrender” (Purchase/Download)
“Unknown Caller” (Purchase/Download)
“Stand Up Comedy” (Purchase/Download)