U2 Emits Beautiful Bounce That's Visibly Stunning

U2 can channel its area rock partners in crime Coldplay without sacrificing a whit of what makes them great. No heavy political drama a la "Sunday Bloody Sunday" nor is there off the cuff goofiness in the vein of "Discotheque". This time Ireland's greatest musical export glides across the impeccably groomed pop rock waters with "Invisible". Control yourselves dyed in the wool fans. The album, untitled at this point, is headed in your direction soon. For now you'll have to be content with a divine slice of four guys comfortable enough in their collective career trajectories that they can serve up a song that's got a higher degree of bounce than bite. They're masters in the art of blending in rather than trapping themselves in the dated, of its time period spiderwebs. Although The Edge certainly wields his guitar like the vet he is it's his star turn at keyboards that enables the name Chris Martin (Coldplay's lead singer for anyone out there scratching his head in curious befuddlement) to pop into my cranium. Breezy's the prevailing pace, and that suits Bono to a tee. He can best ladle out his vow of self-affirmation when he's got the wind at his back. Not only is he standing up for himself in the relationship arena he's vowing not to be a carbon copy clone of his dear ol' dad. U2 has managed to hold onto the guttural fires for 38 years now, great fortune for you, I, and are myriad concert attending friends. Bono's one of the greats because he sweeps you into the palm of his hand, adopts a troubadour's savoir faire, and speaks directly to each quadrant of your heart. Whatever he's selling not too many people would pass on the pitch. Over and over, whenever they make ongoing course corrections they're rewarded by renewed sales both retail and at the ticket window. Larry Mullen, Jr. remains engaging with his sticks. The foursome feeds off each other regularly. Some bands may lean too heavily on one instrument, the equivalent of a basketball team relying on one superstar to vault them onward and upward to glory. Bono zeroes in on our vulnerabilities, The Edge shifts from one enthralling chord combo to another as if he was a schoolboy shifting the gears in a classic car, Adam Powell boosts those two with some of the sturdiest bass beats in the music world today. Certain bands have the awesome power to really excite its audience about its release date. Aerosmith does that handily. You always know what you're getting when an Aerosmith project pops up on the release schedule. U2's steady fans share a similar devotion. However U2 has proven since its mainstream coming out party album "The Joshua Tree" that in its collective soul beats the sensibilities of a chameleon. Despite or perhaps even because of this, it has long since ceased to matter what flavor of song they foist onto the general public. With startlingly regularity it's always, a la NBA hoops, catch, release, swish. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" was about the fiercest rallying cry ever set to vinyl. "Mysterious Ways" was surely an exotic curve in its body of work. Not once have they failed to be true to themselves. In any line of work that's saying a really big something. For U2 it means longevity on a level few acts before or since have proven capable of equaling or eclipsing. Not since the group's dalliance with The Dark Knight, "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" has Bono unleashed his claws so profoundly. "Invisible" is the latest chapter in the ongoing story of U2. Still as compelling as you remember them. I hope it magically appears as a prominent part of your iPod shuffling.