Ichiblog

Like the dutiful fanatic I am, I rushed out to buy the hard copy of the latest release by the greatest band of all-time, U2: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The first listen was a bit disappointing. You know the songs on Achtung Baby that come after Mysterious Ways that are just ok? I often end up skipping those when I'm not in the full-album mood. That's what Atomic Bomb felt like (other than Vertigo) on the first time around. It certainly doesn't have the rock and roll hallmarks of All That You Can't Leave Behind that brought the band back from the brink of techo-irrelevancy. In short, I wasn't impressed.

On second listening, however, I found a few songs growing on me. It still isn't a rocker by any means, but not bad fare either. This is not really a single-driven album (again, other than Vertigo), but all-in-all a good effort; no songs are really stuck in my head, but there are none I want to skip either. It feels something like Boy in that regard, but from a band that has changed a lot in the last twenty years. It has a quieter tone, driven by lyrics rather than catchy riffs, which may disappoint some who expect the album to be more like its opening track. If I had to predict, this one won't be a huge radio success, but should rank solidly among U2's other works, in my mind behind The Unforgettable Fire but ahead of War.