Much like the way the shimmering guitar intro of I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For pointed you in the direction of an unforgettable classic, the intro of this new track seems to point to that same old Joshua Tree direction of the land that promises this superband is still relevant.The song is immediately identified as a U2 track from the very first sprinkle of work by Edge’s fingers, and even before you hear Bono’s toss-into-the-air howls of the word Magnificent, much like his rodeo yells on New Year’s Day.
Resonating with a strong-willed spirituality though only a simple love song, it has enough of a U2 worthy chorus to make it a safe bet for chart life and maybe with enough radio time, also a sure-fire smash hit. Bono ends each chorus by repeating the word Magnificent in his infamous half-choking half-straining vocal appeals to the air that stirs above him.
After about 4 minutes of a tune you are getting accustomed to, the song then veers into a new lone terrain of Edge’s careening guitar wails, before returning to another two minutes of the original tune.
It may seem two minutes longer than necessary, but the continued chugging rhymths made robust by Adam Clayton’s driving pulse of bass work, make this track an up tempo and promising direction to the band’s latest installment of music.
Of course, U2 are famed for getting the best attention for their albums from their first release, and Get On Your Boots was that star first release. But that doesn’t mean this follow-up can’t do something for you. For this generation, it will send you on a new road to the ideals of music meets generation, but for older ears, it will send you back to the days when U2 was as heroic as they were in War and as innovative as when they were in Joshua Tree.
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