Give us your rating of the album:

[corianderstem]

I spend 80% of my days fangirling out about something or other, so it's good for me to adopt a more conservative stance now and again.

 

[bono_212]

Yo, too many options, damn haha. I'm not sure, I'd put myself in the 8-8.5 camp.

See, that's why I gave you the option of 8.25

 

[Achtung Tree]

Well, last time around, some clowns got on me for my criticisms of NLOTH...but what can I say? I'm brave!

Songs Of Innocence has it all over NLOTH. I'm still digesting each song and I've read multiple opinions and I agree with many. Yes, The Edge does "seem" like he was absent for most of the recording sessions, but he's there a lot more than some may realize . It's certainly not a "guitar album", but I really don't recall anybody claiming it would be.

I would categorize this album as being far more of a departure from ATYCLB and HTDAAB. This album doesn't seem to be interested in pleasing the listener as much as it seems interested in accomplishing a different goal - Writing/recording songs that they've already written in the early days, with the wisdom and perspective that they have today. Unlike NLOTH, this album doesn't seem confused and lost. It's easy on the ears and the lyrics seem almost purposely unrefined (yet it works perfectly). I agree with those who say this album won't yield any "Beautiful Days", "Ones", "With Or Without Yous", etc. but I think it's core mission was far from that.

Sonically, I haven't heard so many good sounds since "Achtung Baby". Hat's off to the producers. Bono's voice sounds EXCELLENT. Adam and Larry, even as the rhythm section, "color" a lot of the songs and what about The Edge? As a guitarist myself, I can tell you that Edge's guitar could have been more prominent on perhaps just about every song. The brilliance is the change of approach and allowance for more ambient colors to come to the forefront of the songs. Listen closely to each song...I assure you that The Edge was a busy man!

I gave it an 8. There's a clarity to what they wanted to accomplish. Let's face it, If they just kept regurgitating "TJT", "AB" and "ATYCLB", they would have been has-beens years ago. We have plenty of surging anthems and mainstay songs from them. It's easy for them just to be come a "best of" touring act. Although NLOTH still remains my least favorite album of theirs, I appreciate that they keep searching for new turf...even if this one was inspired by a glance into the past!

 

[RoKKeR]

See, that's why I gave you the option of 8.25

Haha I appreciate the generosity.

Actually though I do think the options makes the poll harder to read, wholes and halves work well enough IMO but that's just me!

I voted 8.5 for the consistency factor, something I think they haven't nailed since Achtung Baby.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

my initial reaction, i gave it a "10" because 10+ wasn't an option.

I love this album and every song on here is fucking great. I mean some are just "good", but most are great, with a few being epic (every breaking wave, california, iris, song for someone).

Best album since Achtung Baby (wow, thats saying something)

 

[Flaming Friar Sr]

9.25

 

[Izzy.nyc]

8.5. Listening to it as a long play. Not a bad song there, and starting to make sense together.


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[God Part III]

The whole point of this is initial reaction, so please please do rate from the gut. We'll do this again.

I get that, what I was trying to say is that my gut changes all the time. But ok. I'll give it an 8 for now. First listen was probably a 6,5 or something.



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[bobsaget77]

10.2/11

 

[purpleoscar]

8.5 for now.

 

[mikal]

We should do this poll again in 4 months and see how the album ages.

Lol agreed. Though I think I originally ranked NLOTH an 8 and now I'd knock it down to a 7 just because the middle 3 left a stain. Overall I think I'm going to like this one over time a bit better but like it about the same as I did NLOTH after 2 days. So I'm going to remain consistent and give it an 8 to this one too and see how it ages.

On my scale, Achtung Baby is the only album I'd give a 10 to so even if this ends up being a 7 that's not a bad score.


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[cjboog]

Some (literal) back of the envelope math brings the average rating to 8.35/10 so far...

 

[cbanksy9]

This is a brilliant album, great energy and structure. Can't wait for the extra songs and SOE providing they actually follow up with it. I'll give it 9


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[LemonMelon]

7.25

Surprised there's nothing below a 5.5.

 

[mikal]

7.25



Surprised there's nothing below a 5.5.

I think the lack of GOYB and SUC help the scores.


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[Izzy.nyc]

Haha. One could say that SUC SUCs


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[mikal]

Haha. One could say that SUC SUCs


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[allbecauseofme]

9/10

Only song I can't fully get into is The Miracle!!


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[sue4u2]

9 after 9 listens. Completely in love with SLABT and the Danger Mouse influence on Every Breaking Wave - which I think should be the next single. I've been playing so many back to back I'm getting them mixed up at times. I just can't quit listening.

 

[digitize]

Too many poll options...come on. After two days people are supposed to judge between .25 and .50?

Pitchfork is currently mulling over whether they should give the album a 0.25 or a 0.5.

But I give it a 7.75. Currently, I think that it's a good, solid U2 album. It's far from their best, and it's far from their worst. I'd put it in very close company with No Line. I perhaps like No Line a bit more.

 

[Nick66]

Pitchfork is currently mulling over whether they should give the album a 0.25 or a 0.5.

But I give it a 7.75. Currently, I think that it's a good, solid U2 album. It's far from their best, and it's far from their worst. I'd put it in very close company with No Line. I perhaps like No Line a bit more.

I think I'm at about the same place. It's clearly better than Bomb for me (which is in their bottom 3), and I definitely think it's a more pleasant, cohesive listening experience over NLOTH, which can be jarring. But on the other hand, for me, there's no MOS, Fez or NLOTH on this record...but no clunkers either. There ARE strong tracks, but nothing I like as well as those, so far anyway. But I'd rank it somewhere near NLOTH.

I think I'd give it tick lower than you right now, maybe a 7.5.

 

[birdman]

Since it's so early, and there are some songs, that I find dismissible, today I will give it a 6.
Actually, to congratulate their new method of storytelling, that permeates throughout the album I will concede a 7.
It's what you don't hear that gives this album it's power.

I do not see myself going above 8.5, as I don't identify anything that goes above my intellect. Yet.
If there is something, I will write it down and treasure it forever.

 

[Vlaco]

I'm not going to rate the album. I'm pleasantly surprised and don't like the concept of rating albums/music anyway. I'm just enjoying the music instead of thinking ''should I rate this song a ... or a ...?''

 

[An Cat Gav]

3 days in and it's still too early to tell.
At the moment it's an 8 and I am beginning to dare to think that it isn't just the deluded fan boy in me that thinks this could be a 9.

 

[birdman]

3 days in and it's still too early to tell.
At the moment it's an 8 and I am beginning to dare to think that it isn't just the deluded fan boy in me that thinks this could be a 9.

I can definitely give it an A+ in spirit, I just want more, and more, and more, and more, and more and more, and... more

 

[domo-kun]

7.75. There are some gems on this album which I will treasure forever, and about 3 songs that don't click yet. But that will all change in a live setting.
So its basically a 7.75 with room for + points.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

7/10

An improvement over No Line which is all I hoped for.

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[LadySpinHead]

Solid 8.5 for me at the moment.

 

[corianderstem]

I'm already bumping up my early, conservative rating of 7.0 to an 8.0.

Yeah.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

7.5

I doubt that it'll climb any higher than that. I wonder if not having to grade a new U2 album in 5 years, plays a role in ranking this too high? A better grade assessment would be made sometime in the new year.