After an mistake (really? or a marketing ploy?) that let people purchase and download U2's new record No Line On the Horizon from a website in Australia, U2 have started streaming the whole album on their site and perhaps elsewhere (I'm not sure about that). Rolling Stone already have a review out and give the album five out of five stars. I'm listening, curious, not sure, but enjoying the thrill of my favorite band breaking out of their box once again. It may be their most spiritual album since October. On Magnificent, Bono sings "Only love can leave such a mark." On Moment of Surrender, "Its not that I believe in love, its that love believes in me." Indeed.
Anon, and peace,
Chris
Update: I love what Beth Maynard, over at U2Sermons, says about the new album:
Infinity's a great place to start
I don't do album reviews here, but as with How to Dismantle I do want to reserve the right to write a bit on some of No Line's songs. Nowhere near ready to do that yet, but one thought that keeps hovering around my mind is the level of self-differentiated emotional and spiritual maturity that shines through. There's the U2 joy, but it's not "here's our trademark joy pitched so as to get on the radio." There are what everyone calls U2 spiritual themes, but not packaged with careful accessibility for listeners. There are killer riffs, but not weighed and measured out across tracks like a recipe.
The thing I keep feeling tempted to say, but am wary of saying because it's far too early, is: perhaps we are finally seeing a band nearing age 50, with 33 years longevity as a community and (for most of them) a similar longevity as followers of Christ, at mature peace with themselves and the lives they've made, writing out of that place uncensored.
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