13 November 2026
Giant Irish rock/pop stars U2 have their new, 20th CD/LP,
their first in 9 years, baptized CARNIVAL DE LUZ out today.
Order info here.
It follows the band’s two surprising 6-track EPs,
Days Of Ash (February) and Easter Lily (April).
The 12-song record is produced by Jacklee Knife
and tackles themes of spirituality, friendship, freedom,
and endurance.
NME‘s verdict: “Brighter, poppier and still a little bit bombastic. On their 16th studio
album, the Irish legends sound more playful than preachy for the first time in a long
time. ‘Carnaval De Luz’ feels like a left turn, summoning a joy that both reinvigorates
their songwriting and serves as a riposte to an ever-bleaker global picture.”
TUTV: If you’re a band that crafted 4 golden masterpiece albums over the years
with Boy (1980), The Joshua Tree (1983), Achtung Baby (1991) and All That You Can’t
Leave Behind (2000), it’s hard to come up with a 4th diamond.
It hasn’t happened so far, and it doesn’t happen with Carnival De Luz either. Mind you,
this new record would be a splendid accomplishment for many (young) groups out there, but to Bono & Co’s high standards it’s just an OK album, nothing more, nothing less.
Half of the LP are zestful bangers (Go /La Reina / Silencio / Street Dreamers / The Mirror Maker with Rosalia / Can’t Stop Us Now), half are familiar-sounding slow ones/ballads (Glorify / Midnight Sunshine / If The World Is At War We Better Not Be / Torn with Dolly Parton) and the grand The Greatest Show On Earth) showing, for the umpteenth time, that Bono‘s melodramatic vocals and The Edge‘s rock guitar wizardry are still crucial to U2’s sound.
But I don’t find here timeless tunes such as I Will Follow, Pride, I Still Haven’t Found
What I’m Looking For, Where The Streets Have No Name, Vertigo, One, Elevation, and Grace, just to name a few of their many Jukebox hits. It’s hard to beat your own legacy when it’s that grandiose. To me, Carnival de Luz is a sort of runner-up to their best work, so all in all, it’s certainly not a stinker. I guess I expect too much from these imperishable Irishmen.
Score: 3/5
Singles.
– THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH –
– SILENCIO –
ALBUM
