posted by: Sherwin Coelho Jun 15 2009 @ 8:02 pm

Artist: U2

Album: No Line On The Horizon

Genre: Rock, Electropop

Impressions:

Only a few minutes into ‘No Line On The Horizon’ are good enough to tell you that this album’s different, something you wouldn’t traditionally relate to a rock band that’s been around for almost three decades.

In fact, if you listen to the album with your eyes closed, you probably won’t be able to tell if this is the soundtrack of a movie or an album by itself. Everything has changed since the last time U2 released a record in 2004 with ‘How To Dismantle An Atom Bomb’.

On NLOTH, the band has experimented a lot more than they ever have before. This time, it’s not only about the four of them, as the guitars are layered, vocals are harmonized and drumming is electronic. Bono has invented characters (a traffic cop, a junkie and a soldier serving in Afghanistan), to spread the feel of the album, which gives it a vibe different from any of their previous records.

This album cannot be classified as rock as the grungy guitars are used sparingly, drumming is used to inject tempo rather than provide a stable backbone to the melody, and Clayton’s bass riffs drift in and out of the mix with affluent ease. Bono himself delivers vocals with a sense of purpose sometimes (White as Snow – which focuses on the dying thoughts of an Afghan soldier), whispers into the microphone in retrospect at others (Cedars of Lebanon) and rarely gets into his rocker groove (Breathe).

Most tracks start off serenely, before the melody really kicks in, a perfect example of which is ‘Fez:Being Born’. ‘Magnificent’ is another dark intro which flows into a pop-ballad chorus.

Conclusion: This album takes you on a musical journey from start to finish. Don’t expect conventional U2, and you’ll be pleased.