U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

Even as on-again/off-again fans (let’s not talk about All That You Can’t Leave Behind), we’ve got a soft spot for U2. They were first ever rock band we saw live; the boys were barely out of their teens and we were simply enthralled. Twenty-some years later, it sounds like they’re channeling those youthful selves in How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: What we’ve heard is jangly and jubilant, soaring and slightly caustic—even a little sloppy. Another good sign is that producer Steve Lillywhite, so essential in creating the band’s early trademark sound, worked on this latest one, too. And a third: Bono calls this recording “a monster,” adding that “it’s driven by a guitar player who is sick of the sight of me shaking hands with dodgy politicians. The anger is unbelievable.” All right! Apparently U2 has left that bombastic miscalculation from 2000 far behind.