U2 Ready to explode

Ghosts of vintage U2 do lurk between the corners of this 11-track album. The band is unstoppable for the first five tracks on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Between the well-thought atmospheric sketches of "Miracle Drug" down to the irrepressibly reflective song-craft of "City of Blinding Lights," the band rewards the faithful with the shimmering ambience of light and shade derived from the Joshua Tree years.

If the crowd-pleasing All That You Can't Leave Behind restored U2's classicist rock constructs, then for the most part, the new material remains equally intense and compelling -– but with one foot firmly in forward gear.

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb kicks hard with ambition and also cuts deep. Built to provoke, "Love and Peace or Else" is by the far the most aggressive and politically-charged track. Produced by Brian Eno and Flood, this one bristles with conviction and burns with Lennon-esque fire. If you've missed Bono's outspoken politics, "Love and Peace or Else" should re-establish the potent edge.

As much as there are vast and sprawling rock tracks, the album's illuminating moment is a quiet one. The heartfelt "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own," penned by Bono after his father's death, is a poignant hymn of dignity and healing. Just like Bono's tributes to his departed mother -– "Mofo" and "I Will Follow," this nakedly personal track comforts and ease the sorrow and loss.

Lyrically, Bono is in unshakeable form when dealing with faith, love, spirituality and trust across the rest of the album -– "All Because of You," "A Man and a Woman," "Original of the Species," "One Step Closer" and "Crumbs From Your Table."

Whether it's rock or melancholy intimacy, Bono's creative intuition as a conduit of hope is undeniable. These are not mere words embedded in a song, they are everyday realities and dreams that twinkle within Bono's verses.

Religion is also brought forward on the soulful "Yahweh" as Bono wrestles with both the Christian guilt inherent and the charismatic rock star inside. Think "Gloria" and "With a Shout," but with a little bit of Johnny Cash and loads of salvation implied.

Recorded in Hanover Quay, Dublin, and in the south of France, most of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was produced by Steve Lillywhite with addition production work by Flood, Brian Eno, Chris Thomas, Nellee Hooper, Jacknife Lee and Carl Glanville.

Apart from the standard CD edition, U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb will also be available locally through Universal Music Malaysia in good ol' fashioned vinyl as well as a deluxe limited edition box (CD, DVD, 48-page booklet) and also a CD/DVD package.

© The Star, 2004.