U2

All That You Can't Leave Behind

Graceless, except for the end

Review Score:

(2/10)
Like Pop before it, this is frustrating record largely because the kernel of many tracks have a decent song inside, but in nearly every case it's been botched in the making. But whereas Pop gave you a sense of a band pushing at their limits, though not always succeeding, this just sounds lazy. Beautiful Day and Elevation admittedly have good melodies but the lyrics are obvious and often plain bad. Stuck in a Moment is cut from the same cloth as Angel of Harlem, but pales by comparison; it limps along when it should kick and only pulls it together for the last 30 seconds when the brass arrives. Someday this song might get the treatment it deserves. Walk On and Kite are just plain embarrassing, lyrically and musically - .... Wild Honey is a b side at best, and In a Little While, while a nice tune showcases what a ravaged state Bono's vocal chords are in. Gruff sounds good on Tom Waits, but just plain croaky here. While the band's sound overall is pared back, Bono's singing has vaulted in the other direction, noticeably cracking in half the songs.
New York starts well enough, but again is let down by both Bono's lyrics (buying an apartment in NY doesn't qualify you to write a potted history in song) and his attempts at operatic wailing. Peace on Earth, while a dire title, starts hopefully with a nice chiming guitar from Edge, but which soon trails off into a sub-Oasis busk. Like half the songs here, it deserves better. The other half should have been buried.
The only glimmer of light comes right at the end. Grace is an elegant, simple song with a gorgeous melody and production by Eno - a cousin of 'Falling at your feet' from the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack. Bono's talked in interviews about being excited about the idea of grace - and his images convey this without sliding into cliche, as they do so often elsewhere on the album.
Overall, a really disappointing album that doesn't improve over time. The good news is that Electrical Storm, while not their best work is more of a return to form and maybe what they were trying to achieve here.

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