I don't know the band? Unlike you, I know that there are 9 other songs on The Unforgettable Fire. You can mention Pride as an example of them wanting to be relevant (a meaningless term), but what about Elvis Presley and America, Promenade, Bad, 4th of July, MLK, Wire, A Sort of a Homecoming, Indian Summer Sky, or the title track? Just because Pride is of its time doesn't mean it was bid for relevance. hey don't really sound like what was on the charts in 1984, do they?Like Rush said, they were young enough to be influenced by contemporary music. It's more like Cocteau Twins than Hall & Oates.
The Unforgettable Fire was made by a band who's priority was clearly their art. Even a cursory reading of books about U2 and interviews with them would enable you to know this. Maybe you should acquaint yourself with facts before you insert your screwface into a discussion.
Self indulgence is a meaningless term that can be thrown at anything. It can't be defined in the context of art. They love Kraftwerk, but Autobahn and side two of TEE could very easily be said to be self indulgent. Same with Beethoven's 9th, Revolver, Low, or Achtung Baby. If anything, "self indulgence" has been their greatest strength because it allows them to be ambitious.