So far I only have this review for ATYCLB that
I wrote for my high school newspaper.
ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND
Three years after their last studio release, U2 is back in a
big way with their new hit album, All That You Can’t Leave
Behind. Highly anticipated by die-hard fans and casual listeners
alike, the record, littered with its infectious melodies and
catchy hooks, clearly fails to disappoint its audience as it
rockets to the top of the charts in 22 countries around the
world. Though scaling back to the four-piece rock band that
defined them in their earlier Boy-to-Rattle and Hum
period, U2 continues to combine a touch of the techno vibes
of Zooropa and Pop with a heavy, back-to-basics
style of playing to create a hybrid of their award-winning Joshua
Tree and their critically acclaimed Achtung Baby.
Several cuts off their album offer heart-moving, soul-stirring
lyrics, accompanied by Bono’s rip-roaring vocals and The Edge’s
wailing guitar rhythms. Standout tracks include "Stuck
in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of," in which Bono urges
a suicidal friend to "stand up straight" and "carry your own
weight", and "Peace on Earth," where the members of
U2 once again exhibit their social consciences and pacifistic
beliefs. "It’s not plastic. It’s not silk. It’s heavier than
that," sums up Bono on the appropriately titled All That
You Can’t Leave Behind. The bottom line: "It’s titanium
soul."