Cynthia Fischer

Anyone who knows me well knows I am a huge U2 fan and would love to have Bono sing at my funeral! I eagerly await album releases and tour dates anticipating new levels of U2 magic, as was the case with "Songs of Surrender." It would be easy to dismiss this album as a vanity project with nothing new and different from my favorite band. However, the first time I played it, I immediately noticed how Bono's voice was front and center, more so than usual, which was (pardon the pun) music to my ears. I attribute that to the paring down of U2's typical outstanding instrumentation. The reworking of some of U2's best music is brilliant and this is an album that just gets better and better every time I listen to it. The only reworked song I'm not wild about (yet...it may grow on me) is "Desire," which Bono sings in falsetto. This album represents a more mature U2 highlighting changes to Bono's voice (which are wonderful as he gets older) and the progression of the band as they all age and mellow somewhat. The last thing I will say about U2 is that their thoughtful, well-written, complex lyrics have always been one of the best things about the band. Bono and the boys are true poets and musical magicians. Enjoy.