Now that I'm a few days removed from my bitter disappointment at more war horses and vague non-committal statements from the band, I'm still trying to put my finger on a few things.
First, we know Bono is more or less speaking the truth these days. When he says the album isn't done, it's not. When he says he doesn't know when, he doesn't. When he said we may see a few things in the fall, he knew they were committed to iHeart and Dreamforce but nothing else.
What bugs a lot of fans like myself I think is what seems like a lack of genuine desire to deliver. All that crap about "we hope to have it out in the back half of the year" was said with plenty of time to finish an album. But then they're off on vacation for an incredibly long time and Bono is off doing his day job. Now there is still just hope of having it out in 2017 and no commitment to any time. And all the while, I can't shake the feeling that the album is getting worse as we speak.
Generally speaking, the most coherent, cohesive works are done with flow and dedication. Fits and starts and re-visiting it every few months with various producers leads to second-guessing and choppy, detached work. And we've seen that with them in the past. All of us patiently waited an extra year while they made No Line worse (or at least that's the majority opinion). So for me, the trust factor is gone. I don't trust their process and their confidence.
This whole thing shouldn't be rocket science. You jump in with both feet or you don't. I know they owe me nothing. But I still can't help feel how I feel and to still be sold more Elevation and Pride while they won't tell us a damn thing about when to expect something new leaves me completely disappointed in them, no matter how much I don't want to be.
