How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, A Review...

"Uno, Dos, Tres, CATORCE!" From the first words of U2's new album, I knew I was going to love it. No ones explained to me why Bono goes to fourteen after 1,2,3, but I suppose when you're Bono you can do whatever you please. The huge surprise to me on this album is the lack of politics. My expectation was certainly different than the reality. It's certainly there in spots, but nowhere near what I thought there would be. Frankly, I'm quite glad that it's broader in scope than my expectation. I'm sure it would've been quite easy for them to write ten antiwar songs and get on with it. The music itself is a bit of a continuation of the sound they used on "All That You Can't Leave Behind" but with some touches of older U2. The guitar sounds are the familiar, (but fantastic), classic "delay pedal" U2. I've heard people complain about the supposed repetitiveness of Edge's guitar sound, but I see it as more of a signature sound. These people are typically people who adore Satriani, Vai and that souless crowd of guitar players who have yet to write a song that'll be remembered by anyone. It's never been a liability in my opinion. The standout tracks are "Vertigo", "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own", and "Crumbs From Your Table". I would recommend this album for anyone, but especially for the people who stopped listening to U2 during "Zooropa". I was very glad to see that U2 have come full circle without plagiarizing their past. This was a very satisfying listen and will remain in my MP3 player for years to come. The title of this blog is a link that gives you the name of a local (INDEPENDENT) record store where you could pick this up.