20. Songs of Innocence / U2

Songs of Innocence cracks the Top Twenty because of three glorious weeks during the summer.  My boys and I listened to the album everyday—they loved it—and the opportunity allowed me to introduce them to Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen.  Though Songs of Innocence is much better than 2010's No Line on the Horizon and reveals noteworthy autobiographical sketches about Bono and the band's ascendancy, it is a middling U2 album when compared to their canon.  It goes for big and falls somewhere short.  But it was the perfect portal to the legendary band for my boys, and it made me happy that the Irish rockers were still making music in their fourth decade.

There are some solid tracks, of course.  “Every Breaking Wave” is a good U2 song and bears repeated listens, with the understated and sun-kissed guitar licks following up on Bono’s plaintive wails.  "California (All You Need Is Love)" starts to grow on you—indeed, it is difficult to dampen the optimism of a vintage Bono refrain: There is no end to love!  "Song for Someone" is a lovely track written for Bono's wife Ali Hewson.  And “Cedarwood Road” finally gives some life to The Edge’s ringing ax, which is somewhat subdued throughout the record.  The song highlights the band’s formative years—the street Bono grew up on—and it could have fit in with politically-charged songs on albums like War and October.  Unfortunately, "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone), "Raised by Wolves," "Sleep Like A Baby Tonight," and "The Troubles" are largely forgettable.

My boys loved “Volcano,” not surprisingly, and even longtime listeners will begrudgingly rock to its chorus when it fills a stadium.  Thankfully, their excitement drowned out my misgivings, especially the nagging feeling that this album did not push the band hard enough, drive them down new roads in an age where EDM-inspired pop music has swallowed up many attention spans.  Given that Danger Mouse produced the record, the pre-release word was that we might be hearing a twist on the all-time classic Achtung Baby, or at least something approaching its glittering and danceable rhythms.  We do not get that with Songs of Innocence.  It is middle of the road.  But the album can certainly be used to point the next generation in the right direction.