I don't think there's much particularly wrong with 00's U2, it's just seems a tad uninspired. What I find strange is that when people criticize 00's U2 for being too safe and unambitious, the supporters cry out that we can't appreciate good pop music. Well the question is, throughout the 80's or 90's, was anyone thinking "gee, I wish U2 would just hunker down and craft an album of radio-friendly pop classics"? Because even if you didn't care for Pop, there's a lot of grey area in between that boundary of experimentation and what they've become since the beginning of the decade. U2 have always been able to craft a pop song while still flexing their musical muscles and charting new territory--it's on every pre-00's album. So I thing the issue is that it sounds too homogenous. I love the songs on HTDAAB, but as an album it's not necessarily what I would prefer to be hearing.