After nearly fifty years of producing mostly great music, U2 is no longer going to release anything that doesn't have a certain polish to the production. This isn't a garage band, and hasn't been for decades. That doesn't mean they can't still get their rock on, though, and U2 certainly does on their latest single, "Silencio."
In fact, the band hasn't been as straightforwardly neo-punk in quite some time. The Edge even delivered a "Cherry Bomb"-type riff, quite fitting for the short rager. In fact, the Edge almost entirely eschews his common effects on the track. The guitar sound is far more raw than longtime fans might expect at this point.
Bono's vocals are delivered with speak-sing strength, a cadence that is more Runaways than any bit from The Joshua Tree. That is clearly the intent, and it is executed quite well.
U2 drops excellent new single and new album details
Does the song have emotional depth? To a degree, but this gem seemingly isn't about the state of the world, but sonically just about enjoying the two-and-a-half minutes of the song. The track isn't going to rank among the group's best, but that would be expecting too much from any U2 song, just as any new Rolling Stones tune would already be at a loss when compared to older diamonds.
Make no mistake: If the song is an indication of how good the rest of the forthcoming album (more on that in just a second) is, then fans of U2 are in for a real treat, one that feels more musically personal than some of the more airy albums of late. We won't be getting Boy, of course, but something like War would be just fine.
"Silencio" is a winner, and worthy of being on repeat. Most of the rest of the album might be the same.
As for that new album, the record is called Carnaval De Luz and now has a release date of November 13. The tracklist is 12 songs strong, with "Street of Dreams" and "Silencio" as the first singles.
The final track on the album is called "Torn" and features a duet between Bono and Dolly Parton. The country icon's vocals appear to be the last ones she recorded before her death on August 25.
The album was produced by Jacknife Lee and is the band's 16th full-length studio album. The tracklist for Carnaval De Luz looks like this:
- "Go (Carnaval De Luz)"
- "La Reina"
- "Street Of Dreams"
- "The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)"
- "Superficiality"
- "If The World Is At War We Better Not Be"
- "Silencio"
- "The Greatest Show On Earth"
- "Glorify"
- "Midnight Sunshine"
- "Can’t Stop Us Now"
- "Torn (Feat. Dolly Parton)"
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