22 March 2023 – album review by DAMIEN
I must confess, a couple weeks ago, before putting my hand up to say that I would review U2’s latest offering, I probably should have done a little more background research before making such a commitment.
Sure, I knew that their new album Songs of Surrender was going to feature acoustic renditions of previous hits, that much I was aware of. And, I had even listened to the handful of singles that they had released already, so had a pretty good idea of what feel they were going for.
But, when on Friday, the Irish megaband dropped 40 tracks at once…. well, I had the same feeling that school leavers get when they sign up for university, expecting it to be an enjoyable time of social drinking, only to be hit with a 10,000 word essay in the first week.
So, in full transparency, I am going to be up front and say that I have NOT listened to Songs Of Surrender in its entirety as yet. As one who has just turned 42 this week, my awareness of how little time one actually has is more acute than ever, and I have to start making more considered decisions about whether spending 3 hours of listening to Bono repeat the last 40 years of his career, but in dulcet tones, is really worthwhile?
Perhaps if you are a fifty-something year old who has grown up listening to U2 throughout the formative and early middle ages of your life, and are now wanting to peacefully reminisce where you have come from whilst the Edge gently picks away on his acoustic guitar, this album maybe just what you need, but for the rest of us, like a first year uni student, I think it’s ok just to cram a few chapters ahead of the exam.
Don’t get me wrong. U2 are an incredible band, and the fact that they have released music every decade for the past 6 decades is nothing short of outstanding. But Songs Of Surrender as a body of work seems most fit for playing in the background of a coffee shop as an alternative to the usual ‘Acoustic Covers Spotify Playlist’, rather than something one sits down and intentionally listens to in its entirety.
Having said that, in small doses, it is a beautiful listen. Each track has been crafted in a way that, in my opinion, demonstrates the quality of U2’s song writing and the richness of Bono’s voice. Furthermore, hearing The Edge turn off the delay pedal is quite a pleasurable novelty too.
Whilst no track on the album that I’ve listened to, as yet, has surpassed the original, I definitely found myself instantly re-falling in love with songs like, One, Beautiful Day, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and Pride when hearing them in this format.
Perhaps my only real criticism, apart from the length of the album, was the number of times Bono decided to change the lyrics of his own songs. There were several times when I was caught off guard by an unexpected change in verse, and although it occasionally added new meaning to an old song, there were more than a few times where I questioned whether it actually added anything to the track.
At the end of the day though, U2 are U2, and they are allowed to do whatever they want with their music, even if the whole project was simply done in reflective self-indulgence for the sake of the band…but then, isn’t that true of all songs.
Perhaps I should just be thankful that regardless of motives, Bono, Larry, Adam, and Edge chose to share their reflections so that, in between sips of my flat white and pauses from conversation, I can be reminded of why I still hold room for them in my heart.
