U2 Drops New EP on Ash Wednesday
But is Days of Ash any good?
How Catholic of U2 to drop a new EP on Ash Wednesday.
But is this six-song set — the Irish band’s first offering of new, original music since 2017’s fucking horrible Songs of Experience — worth its weight in communion wafers?
U2 haven’t put out a classic album since POP to these ears, but they came close in 2014 with that album they forced onto everyone’s iPods and iPhones — Songs of Innocence. And Days of Ash, at its best, harks back to the strength of that album’s best moments. The harrowing Renee Good homage “American Obituary” kicks off with an urgency reserved for their most insurgent work, a fine return to form in every way.
VIDEO: U2 “American Obituary”
It’s followed by “The Tears of Things,” a song that I could hear fitting into the tracklist of All That You Can’t Leave Behind but arguably better than anything off that record. This is Bono at his best, when he’s singing directly to God in a way that only he can.
“Song of the Future” is as forgetful as its throwaway title suggests, but it’s awesome to hear the fellas go back into Passengers territory on the Adeola-assisted, Jacknife Lee-produced “Wildpeace.” And then on the sublime “One Life At A Time,” they rise once again to the occasion with a song that could have served as a perfect closer. It’s great to hear Larry in fine form as well, just killing it on the drums.
But no.
They had to sign off here with some warmed over Arcade Fire big chorus type closing number called “Yours Eternally” featuring Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian singer Taras Topolia. I couldn’t get through a minute of it before switching over to the Under a Blood Red Sky EP for a palate cleanser. It’s horrible, simply put. Literally everything not cool about commercial music compressed into a single song. Sorry.
Now, U2 are promising a full-length LP by the end of 2026. Whether it will be filled with songs like “Yours Eternally” or songs like “American Obituary” remains to be seen.
I’m hoping these guys have one more classic in them. Or they could continue dropping trash. This EP is a crossroads in that regard. And we can only hope they listen to the real heads who were raised with them on the radio since Boy, and who hope for a new album as good as Achtung Baby or at least Rattle and Hum (where is our deluxe edition, btw?).
Watch this space, I guess.
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