U2 - No Line On The Horizon
Artist:
Title:
No Line On The Horizon
Type:
Album
Released:
03 Mar 2009 (US), 02 Mar 2009 (UK)
Your Rating:
Review
As with much of their recent work, it doesn't take much of a scratch to find the Christian themes hidden beneath the surface of U2's latest album, 'No Line On The Horizon.' Whilst the band haven't exactly reinvented themselves, the album sits in stark contrast with their last offering, 2004's 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.' Upon first listen, 'Atomic Bomb' seemed to be an instant classic, but repeat listens have not served it well. In comparison, 'No Line' may not grab the attention on the first listen, but repeat airings showcase an incredible depth and complexity through several sublime...
Read More As with much of their recent work, it doesn't take much of a scratch to find the Christian themes hidden beneath the surface of U2's latest album, 'No Line On The Horizon.' Whilst the band haven't exactly reinvented themselves, the album sits in stark contrast with their last offering, 2004's 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.' Upon first listen, 'Atomic Bomb' seemed to be an instant classic, but repeat listens have not served it well. In comparison, 'No Line' may not grab the attention on the first listen, but repeat airings showcase an incredible depth and complexity through several sublime tracks. In fact, it could be described as a 'grower', with every listen revealing more: a clever spiritual metaphor here, another layer of sound there.
The record opens with the title track, and Bono's infectious 'whoas'! The theme of time being irrelevant when compared with the eternal is introduced from the off, as the singer cries 'infinity's a great place to start!' 'Magnificent', the best track on the album, displays not only some of the most worshipful lyrics the band has ever written, but a highly addictive groove helped along by stunning guitar work. The sprawling 'Moment Of Surrender' portrays a spiritual experience 'of vision over visibility'. 'Stand Up Comedy' issues a demand to 'stand up for hope, faith, love.' In the effortlessly catchy 'Breathe', Bono sings 'I've found grace inside a sound. I've found grace, it's all I've found.' In many respects 'No Line' seems to actually focus on faith, rather than simply make idle references to it.
That isn't to say that the album is without flaws. 'No Line' suffers to a certain extent from a lack of lead anthems, as was demonstrated in their recent underwhelming performance in the UK singles charts with 'Get On Your Boots'. After some funky opening verses, 'Boots' never seems to find a chorus, meaning that it struggles to capture the imagination. Meanwhile, whilst 'FEZ-Being Born', demonstrates U2's diversity, it also seems to pad out the album. However, this hasn't stopped several reviewers hailing 'No Line' as a masterpiece, and nor should it. The album remains a diverse and intriguing work with significantly more substance than many of their past projects.
Some CCM critics have gone as far to call it U2's 'most Christian album yet'. However, whilst the band certainly appears to be exploring their faith than in the past, it's hard to get away from the fact that every song is open to interpretation. Perhaps therein lies the true strength of 'No Line'; it can mean many things to many people. Yet again, Ireland's finest have managed to create something that many 'Christian music' artists never fully accomplish: an album that crosses the divide and appeals just as much to the mainstream as it does to Christian music fans. That's no mean achievement.
Review by J Alexander.
J Alexanders Rating of 5 out of 5 Stars
Stand Out Tracks
Magnificent
No Line On The Horizon
Breathe
