Brian Eno in particular is to U2 what George Martin was to The Beatles.
A sounding board for great ideas and an expert intuition in pulling the band in a direction that never seemed capable before.
They just fit together like hand in glove - a marriage of convenience between the Celtic mysticism and deep spirituality of U2's music with Eno's abstract sonic landscapes conjures up a vivid imaginative world unlike anything other in music for me personally. Heartfelt with a range of emotions, that ability to also take your mind to a physical environment - imaginary or real - is tantamount to the success of U2.
It really depends on who the producer is - Bono and The Edge in particular have proven themselves as visionary songwriters willing to take their music to new levels, and it often required a producer with the same artistic vision and creativity to achieve those ideals. That happened without Brian Eno - Mofo (along with a few handful of tunes from Pop) for me is a monumental piece of work that achieved artistic gratification similar to their work with Eno, albeit very different sonically.
So it is a real disappointment when U2 opt for producers who just simply are not artists. The nadir of this is hiring Ryan Tedder, a producer and songwriter so artistically bankrupt it is cringeworthy and painful to see such a creatively expansive band hire him and take themselves down to a level that is unbefitting of the ethereal qualities that made this band one of the greatest ever.
And while they do try to incorporate some of the sonic tricks into these songs worked on by dull MOR producers like Tedder, it feels more or less just like attractive paraphernalia in an attempt to comfort long time fans that this is still the same band. But it's not - it doesn't have that Eno inspired organic nature to it where tiny little sonic fragments thread into the fabric of a sonic landscape and evoke a feeling. It's all too mechanical, rectilinear and tacked on, rather than the culmination of almost disparate sounds into an aural frame to create one whole piece of music ala A Sort Of Homecoming.
Subtlety is what separates U2 from being merely a big band to being a great one. While their music is typically stereotyped as euphoric, these moments of euphoria were embedded in a subdued and melancholy context which made those moments cathartic and all the more effective. And that concerns the sonic, melodic and lyrical aspects of the band where everything seems so much more blunt and hamfisted. Bono does not need to sing big choruses to be effective, but these days he thinks he has to - it doesn't work, because the subtlety in the music and the melody is not there anymore. It all appears rather crass as a result, and it just seems that they've forgotten what made them great.
Which is why the time would be right for Brian Eno to jump back on this wayward ship. I believe U2 can still make brilliant music, but I'd like to hear them reign it in a bit musically, melodically and lyrically, and offer a more introspective and contemplative approach next time around (after Songs of Experience because let's be honest, they're taking the sledgehammer approach to songwriting with this one).
I'll leave it on an optimistic note to show you that I think the genius of the band is still there. The Little Things That Give You Away is my favourite of their new songs so far, primarily because there is an element of beautiful restraint, by which I mean the pre-chorus which threads the song nicely.
'Oh la la, I'm not a ghost now/I can see you/You need to see me' offers a subdued melody with a quiet desperation attached to its lyrics, providing us with a sense of insecurity and inner turmoil that slowly eats away at the song's protagonist (autobiographical I presume). It's not obvious on first listen, but it's quietly devastating when you finally acknowledge it. And because of this, the chorus is all the better for it - a typical wide reaching Bono chorus if ever there was one, but there's meaning and tenderness attached to it once again, just like they did way back when. That pre-chorus is a beautiful moment that proves to me that it is indeed 'the little things' that may not be so noticeable on first listen but emphatically strikes at the heart of what makes U2 such a great band for me.
But - U2 are back and so am I. 
