Harmony’s sweet sound

A fiery blend of passion and spirituality have earned Ireland’s U2 acclaim as one of the decade’s top rock groups. Such past hits as the pacifist anthem Sundy Bloody Sunday and Pride (In the Name of Love), a homage to Martin Luther King, typify the band’s Christian, but never preachy, message. The Joshua Tree, the group’s fifth album, covers much the same ground. U2’s guitar-based sound has matured but remains blessedly free of studio clutter. Another highlight is lead singer Bono’s soaring, emotional vocals, notably on Red Hill Mining Town, about a declining mining community’s hopes in the face of insensitive government policies.

The album’s most topical song is Mothers of the Disappeared, a tribute to Latin American women whose children vanished into the clutches of repressive regimes. But overall, The Joshua Tree lacks originality. Beginning with its cover photo, which depicts the band members set against an arid landscape, the album is littered with desert imagery, currently one of pop’s favorite motifs. Bono’s lyrics repeat such phrases as “desert sky” and “howling wind” so many times that the listener starts to taste the dust – and thirsts for something fresh. Despite its earnest intentions, The Joshua Tree is rooted in dry ground.

Source: Macleans/Nicholas Jennings