As if U2 weren’t already a massive joke in the music industry, the stealth release of their latest album through Apple has spawned a torrent of abuse and jokes. Were they so worried it wouldn’t sell if they gave it away for free? Is this really technological “engagement”? In a time when the music industry and the internet already have a frosty relationship, it’s amusing that so many were horrified about the existence of a “free” album on their computers, little more than a virus. Even Bono noted “And for the people out there who have no interest in checking us out, look at it this way… the blood, sweat and tears of some Irish guys are in your junk mail”. Nobody was more outraged than rapper Tyler the Creator though:
GET OFF MY FUCKING PHONE. YOU COULDNT COME UP WITH AN ACTUAL MARKETING IDEA? FUCK @U2 I DONT WANT YOU. FUCK BONO. I DIDNT ASK FOR YOU IM MAD
— Tyler, The Creator (@fucktyler) September 12, 2014
Blimey.
The initial wave of horror has since turned to disappointment
by those who have actually listened to the album, rather than just dismissing
it. This might be a return to the early
days of U2, but it’s not a return to their glory days. This is a soulless rock record: bloodless,
corporate.
That’s present in the limp, lifeless guitar lines; the plodding
mid-tempo drums; Bono’s tired vocals - clearly his diaphragm isn’t what it used
to be. Volcano, for instance, sounds more like a gently oozing flow than
an eruption and any genuine emotion on the soppy Song For Someone is swamped in beige. Mostly the band are struggling to stay
relevant, as they enlist pop producers Danger Mouse, Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder
and more, who lend a distinctly polished and glossy finish to the songs. At best, this is a Coldplay-esque
bore-fest. From the “whoas and oohs” of
opener The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
to the gently chugging Every Breaking
Wave and the light smattering of synths dotted throughout, this is an album
enslaved to the mainstream, imprisoned by those (not so innocent) pearly white
iDevices.
Only Sleep Like A Baby
Tonight dares to change up the sound with its pulsing synth bass and ends
up sounding vaguely like a contemporary band, whilst Raised By Wolves does offer a sense of urgency with its screeching
vocals, percussive breaths and calamitous drums. It’s not enough though.
And to take the Blake reference of the title, what exactly
is so innocent, youthful or romantic about the album? Or is that just a poetic reference to
heighten the intellectual value? Sure,
the lyrical content is packed with references to the band’s beginnings – Cedarwood Road, for example, was Bono’s childhood address. Yet the point of Blake’s Songs of Innocence is childhood vitality untainted by life. If anything, U2’s album represents an ageing
band looking back on their career through nothing but the eyes of experience
and world weariness, Apple Inc. the crutch at their side. “Soldier soldier, we know the world will
never be the same” Bono sings on This Is
Where You Can Reach Me Now. Then
again, this is an album that sounds like it’s performed by lambs, not by tigers.
What’s frustrating is that this isn’t an entirely bad album,
but it’s far from their best and by no means justifies the elaborate
release. It’s about as essential as an
iWatch. Perhaps Bono et al are saving
their best work for the album’s counterpart, ‘Songs of Experience’ – no doubt
an album we’ll actually have to pay for.
‘Songs of Innocence’ is little more than a viral vaccine for that
follow-up. Just press delete.
2/5
Gizzle’s Choice:
* Every Breaking Wave
* Raised By Wolves
* Sleep Like A Baby Tonight
Listen: ‘Songs of Innocence’ is sat waiting patiently in
your iTunes. Unless you’ve deleted it
already.
Let's just remember the glory days shall we?
