Bomb = Dismantled

Picked up the new U2 album yesterday. Listened to it a couple of times in the car, but haven’t sat down for the hardcore critical listening yet — will do that this weekend.

First impressions:
• sonically, it sounds like a logical progression from All That You Can’t …. Fusion of its pop-sheen with more aggressive, and in some cases, simpler, guitar riffs.
• as I said, I haven’t really listened to the album yet, but my passing impression of the lyrics is a continued return to political activism, a la War and The Joshua Tree.
• I splurged and bought the “deluxe” version, which came with a DVD containing a short “behind-the-scenes” for the album, plus some videos. If you’re the type that has to have everything U2 puts out, then you’ll probably get the “collectors” version that comes with a picture book. Otherwise, decide if it’s worth the extra money for the videos. The documentary-ette is fun, but you’ll probably be able to borrow the disc from a friend that ponied up, and save the cash.

Overall conclusion: Good solid album, bit of a return to the 80′s rock sound, but with a more mature polish. Mind-blowing? No. Worth buying? Yes.

-h