U2 Will Believe It's Just Not That Great

U2

No Line On The Horizon

Mercury

Action Rating: 5/10

The album starts strong with the title track. The melody of the song really hooks you in, as all the instruments are layered and feel as if they are hovering over the horizon.

When “Magnificent” starts, it is hard to guess that this is U2. Then nearly a minute into the song you hear the Edge’s familiar guitar style and U2 have arrived. This feels like a typical U2 song. It even has synthesizers that give the song an eighties vibe. “At the moment of surrender/ A vision over visibility/ I did not notice the passers by/ And they did not notice me” Bono sings in “Moment of Surrender.” Bono belts the song over piano and an electronic drum beat as Adam Clayton’s bass line follows close. Clocking in at over seven minutes long, “Moment of Surrender” is the heart of the album. On “Unknown Caller,” Edge treats himself to an extended guitar solo and that’s the only time he does it. “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” is generic U2. It is very poppy but fun.

“Get on Your Boots” is the first single from the album. The song starts with a guitar riff soaked in fuzz that is actually, pretty heavy riff for U2. It’s a good choice for a single as it is a very addicting song. It drifts between pop and psychedelic. “Get on Your Boots” is just out of place and doesn’t fit the album’s sound. As the first single, it teased a new direction but the band doesn’t go in this direction; it is merely a pit-stop. “Stand Up Comedy” is a rock song as Bono sings, “Stand up to rock stars/ Napoleon is in high heels/ Josephine, be careful of small men with big ideas”, possibly taking a shot at himself.

From here the album starts to go downhill. “Fez-Being Born” is an experimental song but fails to really go anywhere. “White As Snow” just goes by unnoticed. These are by no means bad songs they are just not as strong as some of the others. “Breathe” is an excellent song that would have sufficed as the closing song. Instead the very introspective, “Cedars of Lebanon” ends the album. Bono talks the lyrics, “Choose your enemies carefully ‘cos they will define you/ Make them interesting ‘cos in some ways they will mind you/ They’re not there in the beginning but when your story ends/ Gonna last with you longer than your friend.” With that, the album comes to an sudden end.

Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Steve Lillywhite all taking part in the production of the album could be one of the reasons why No Line on the Horizon feels very inconsistent. More than half the songs are very good but the others fall into mediocre. Some songs feel new, some feel predictable. Still this album is better than anything U2 has put out in recent years.

Standout tracks: Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight,
Get On Your Boots, Stand Up Comedy