U2 – One – Songs of Surrender Review

“Some have grown with us. Some we have outgrown. But we have not lost sight of what propelled us to write those songs in the first place. The essence of those songs is still in us.” – The Edge 

Not even Achtung Baby is safe. As Bono’s son Elijah Hewson tears up the indie charts with Inhaler’s sophomore release, U2 are stuck prattling on about the good old days. They are one poor acoustic blunder away from being strapped to a rocking chair and reminiscing about when they could write. U2’s original One was the second-best version of the track after Johnny Cash pushed through with a gorgeous, moving cover. U2 are now chasing that flaming high with a cover of a cover of their original to mark Songs of Surrender. U2 appear, once again, to have outgrown themselves and look back with nothing to say for themselves other than “we could probably do this again”. 

But they cannot. One and the Songs of Surrender project is proof of that. Listening to the lush tones of the original, the prominent and effective guitar play from The Edge ties it all together. Powerful intonations, explored well by Bono’s lyrical prowess drove One when it was released all those years ago. Now its charm is lost. They have outgrown this and have lost that essence The Edge promised was still there. Hopeless afflictions are now repurposed by a band who wish to look back. Doing so comes as Bono releases his autobiography, as the band gear up to release a series of covers of their own work. It all feels a bit grubby, and a bit underwhelming. No clearer is that than on One, a piece that was written during a tumultuous time for the group. Reflecting on that should be a goldmine, an opportunity to clear the conscience.  

Instead, the power and triumph are lost. When Cash still lingers on the mind with his acoustic beauty from the American Recordings, it is hard to swallow the bitter croaks of Bono here. Despite those vocal banalities, it is clear to see what U2 are grasping at here. Reflection is a rare opportunity for an artist. Usually, it is done with something new, fresh and exciting. U2 come here for forgiveness and find themselves trying to raise the dead history of the band that has since grown and pushed on without trying to stare too much at the near-break this track succeeded. Gospel-like features toward the end of the track come too little, too late, and the mix that pairs it all with the basic piano strokes is underwhelming.  

Staggered, stuttering and overworked, One is turned from a complex ballad of unity to a hammy and inevitable reflection. Bono and friends did not need to do so, Songs of Surrender, at its core, is a pointless attempt at convincing listeners that the new meanings of old tracks can only be found in this revisitation. Those fooled by that should be far wiser to U2, whose dependable and ground-breaking work from decades ago is still available, still untouched and thankfully separate from this scorched earth approach to re-working the setlist. Forty tracks of this will be agony. An unnoteworthy cover of a great track, but that appears to be the constant theme for One and the collection of reworkings it is attached to.