It’s been some time since U2 ventured anywhere close to an avenue of imagination. Their last few album releases have been a rough experience to say the least. Songs of Surrender had them give in to this idea of image as the consequential and sole influence on their work. Bono and friends downed tools as they stripped back their oldest and best works without a care for what it felt like without those deeper instrumental grooves or that studio precision. They came good again with two EP releases, one of which was strong work from the band and a hopeful sign of strong material to follow. They haven’t been as dormant as fans would believe, though no touring dates this decade certainly lends itself to an inactive band. They’ve enjoyed a few singles here or there, remasters and so on, but nothing as strong as Street of Dreams. The lead single to an untitled album bound to drop later this year. An exciting advancement made in what U2 can do when they rid themselves of an image projected onto them.
There’ll be a few fans who say this is a return to the so-called “classic” sound of U2. If anything, it’s adapting the band’s fundamental rock and roll qualities to the modern day. U2 sound phenomenally modern and hip, a sound they had been chasing ever since the release of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, and have failed to capture ever since then. This feels sincere and is full of those instrumental highs we knew the band were capable of creating, but never seemed prepared to commit to on previous albums. The Edge dominates this song. His guitar work is fantastic and is, as is often the case with the best of U2, the beating heart of the song. He creates a magnificent feeling for Street of Dreams, an expansive and exciting bit of work that knows when to dive deep into those fantastic grooves. Crucial to that though is knowing when to pull it back, and the quieter moments which spotlight Bono’s voice are magnificent.
Hard it may be to feel like anyone is living on the street of dreams at the moment, Bono puts on his preacher hat and provides a song with sincerity buried deep within. Fight the fear and fly high, that’s his observation here and it works wonderfully. He is a confident narrator who seems, like Ian Prowse or Bruce Springsteen, to find light in the dark irrespective of the pandemonium across the world. He fights for the dreams of the everyman and that is a consequential message to carry in modern times. Street of Dreams is a reminder to follow your dreams irrespective of the consequences they may have on you. Dangerous advice if you wish to scale buildings without climbing equipment, better for those with their feet on the ground and their head in the skies, as David Byrne once partly said. U2 has tapped into a sincere and striking experience we may all have to reckon with.
For those wondering whether to follow their dreams or not, it won’t be a U2 song that convinces them to do so. But Street of Dreams may kick them a little further down this titular avenue. It may even help them arrive there. U2 has done some good for the first time since they reissued How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Their first great single in several years can be found on Street of Dreams, an immaculate punch against those who have given up. It might not relight the fire underneath you but it’s certainly nice of Bono and the band to provide some kindling. At the very least they’re trying to establish themselves against an incoming tidal wave of real horror and upset. That’s a better way to spend the final days of whatever hope and dreams we have than acting against it.
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