Following fifty years since they first formed, have done something remarkable which very few bands go on to succeed at – sustaining the same lineup for the entire duration of their career.
Their friendship, bond and unity as a group certainly hasn’t worn over the last five decades, and their is a testament to U2’s creative solidarity, and impressive legacy, as well as proof they show no sign of slowing down.
‘Silencio’ sets itself as the second single from U2’s newly announced album, ‘Carnaval De Luz’, the Spanish / Portuguese translation of ‘Carnival Of Light’, but stands out as more of a lead single with its definitive rock sound, marking the band’s entry to a new era.
Unlike ‘Street Of Dreams’, the album’s first single, an uplifting, folk-rock track, relying heavily upon The Edge’s nostalgic, signature ringing, ambient guitar accompanied by echoing vocals whilst merely struggling to sustain much of an atmosphere beyond that, Silencio’ insists on a full throttle electric-rock sound, featuring funky hooks, reminiscent of the band’s earlier work on ‘Achtung Baby’, on songs like ‘Mysterious Ways’.
opens the track with a bouncy isolated bass-line, as the punchy rhythm section comes in swinging, with no time to be wasted.
Sonically, there’s a notable grittiness to the track, the energetic drums remain raw whilst Bono chants the lyrics effortlessly over the raging instrumental. In the absence of, U2’s usually favoured, highly-polished production, the track gains a new dynamic quality where the imperfect, almost gravelly, instrumentals become the track’s driving force. Rough-around-the-edges production adds a certain realness to the nature of the song, almost as if the band are recording the track in a singular take, live, and you’re in the room with them.
Atmospherically, theres a loud intimacy to ‘Silencio’, despite it’s vast sound, very reminiscent of which appeared on the band’s 2004 album ‘How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb’ – an album that also employed the work of producer Jacknife Lee, who worked on ‘Silencio’.
Lyrically, religious imagery is a constant theme throughout the track. The use of the Spanish language also extends in songwriting beyond just the track’s title, reflecting the latin-rock influence evidently cited in the track’s rapid-tempo, unprocessed reverberations and overall energetic essence.
‘Silencio’ succeeds as a signifier that U2 sustain the ability to remain as open and experimental as ever, continuing to add new dimensions to their impressive fifty year long discography. The track’s few self-referential influences are merely a well-earned result of having, and continuing to contribute to, one of the most monumental legacies, to ever exist, within rock music.
8/10