"U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"

U2's latest effort, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, is a classicist effort in the best possible way. From the opening muted riffs of the Edge's guitar on the leadoff tune "Vertigo," U2 piles on all the bombast, chunky guitars, thumping bass, and it's-hard-to-believe-it's-a-guy-singing falsetto you'd expect from peak-era U2. The record has a cinematic feel, a sense of its own importance and bredth and size, and it serves the music well. It plays like an aural movie, crafting sonic landscapes with precision and care.

The album really picks up right where their last effort, All That You Can't Leave Behind (which must have included long titles), left off. Chimming guitars, catchy hooks, and delay-drenched lead work are all here in full force, reminding everyone what U2 is supposed to sound like. The songs are all excellent blends of the Achtung Baby-era sound mixed with a healthy dose of Joshua Tree-esque melodies. The effect is really that of U2 doing an excellent imitation of what U2 sounds like. Or that's almost the case--unlike most "back to basics" or "return to the classic sound" efforts by most bands, U2 actually pulls off the trick of stripping away all the layers of bombast and style and glitz that surrounds the band's music, deconstructs the sound, and rebuilds from the ground up. The results are excellent and fit in perfectly alongside U2's best work.

Lyrically, Atomic Bomb falls short of U2's social consciousness work of the '80s. A couple of tunes recall those moods and themes--"Love and Peace or Else," "City of Blinding Lights," and "Yahweh" especially--but most of the songs are more stream of consciousness or introspective, following the trend established by Achtung Baby. The lyrics occasionally slip into the meaningless, as on "Vertigo," "Miracle Drug," and "Original of the Species," but Bono sings with such enthusiasm and emotion that you don't really notice or care (one comedian once joked that Bono could sing anything, even "Bingo," and it would sound amazing. The man emotes, dammit, and he always does a damn fine job of it).

The album does have flaws. The lack of true lyrical depth keeps this record from rivaling the band's peak '80s work, and the music does occasionally make one think the band is striving very hard to sound like U2 instead of just being U2. Ultimately, while this album plays as a sonically cohesive collection, it lacks the sort of depth that would make the record a true classic. They sound big and impressive on the disc, but close examination reveals that most of this is simply the result of U2 going through the motions. There's still some spark and energy left in the band, and Atomic Bomb is a worthwhile effort, but it's nowhere near as groundbreaking or revelatory as it could have been. Of course, maybe expecting U2 to be revelatory at this point in their career is unfair--after all, they've been at it for over two decades. Most bands have broken up well before this point, and the acts that do last this long are usually churning out dreck that no self-respecting music lover would listen to. U2 is still putting out good albums, at least, even if the records are the work of craftsmen rather than visionaries.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: U2, "Vertigo"