U2 Does The Best Job It Can With a Dance/Rock Hybrid

Does it seem to anyone out there that at this juncture in time U2 has been around since the Earth cooled? Some songs have been brilliant ("Sunday Bloody Sunday") while others have been a little strange to say the least ("Lemon" "Discotheque"). I'm pleased to report that their brand new effort "You're The Best Thing About Me" brilliantly straddles the line between the power chords U2 has been known for over the years and the flirtations with dance pop that reveal U2 still knows what it's like to have its showmanship on full display. The warm chord progression at the chorus is in stark contrast to the heart on the sleeve confessional loops Bono applies at the outset. There's a boyish glee to what Bono's expounding upom here. He tells his female companion that, because she looks so good, the pain in her face doesn't show. What a heartstring puller he is, the devil! He gets deep when he declares "You're the best thing about me, the best thing that ever happened a boy. I'm the kind of trouble that you enjoy." So, foreplay will be on the table tonight with confessions such as this. I sure am excited at the level of energy the band can put out at this point in its career. The Edge has his guitar armed for bear. Adam Clayton has his well-tuned bass coaxing out the oohs and aahs from the faithful. Larry Mullen Jr. remains a force on drums. You can find this single on the "Songs of Experience" album. I declare it's a fine single. The bridge doesn't skimp on playful harmonies to the delight of those who have been devotees since the beginning of this ride back in 1976. I'm impressed the lineup hasn't changed one iota. In the rock 'n' roll universe where many bands tend to operate on a revolving door policy that's saying something. Not only does your musical acumen have to stand the test of time, but you have to really like and/or respect who you're playing with. That's a 41 year marriage of critical acclaim and convenience folks. Some burly roadie will likely have to carry the band off stage because I don't envision its collective final breath taking place anywhere other than a rock 'n' roll stage, presumably of an arena nature. U2's technique hasn't lost a step low these many decades. Maybe Bono isn't yelling out charged political statements like he did in the days of "War" but this kinder, gentler version should not be denied the credit it deserves. "You're The Best Thing About Me" is the best example of how U2 can keep core followers while reaching out to newbie millennials who haven't been schooled in the finer details of what makes it an essential band.