Songs of Innocence is a very poor U2 album, it has that bubblegum effect in that its an instant U2 album but wore off very quickly. The production is very poor, something Larry highlighted the minute it was released, sounding ProTooled to the eyeballs. Very sterile and doesn't sound like a band performance. Musically uninteresting. And the chart baiting songs are obvious and shallow.
Then there's the lyrics. I think for something that is supposed to be reflective of youth, its surprising how little intimacy there are in the lyrics. Less figurative, very literal, there's very little depth to them. There's some bright moments like 'the universe is beautiful but cold' bit in Iris, but I think that song sums up how far Bono's lyrics have become uninspired.
Iris is a really nice song, definitely one of the stronger moments, but it lacks the devastating impact of Lemon regarding the same subject of Bono's yearning for his late mother. With Lemon, I think when you frame your grief and yearning around an intimate moment like seeing your mother in old film footage, it really compounds the feeling of what has been lost, alongside the feelings of remoteness, isolation and the unobtainable. It perfectly encapsulates grief and reflections through a single moment, and thereafter how it impacts the desire for creativity to try and fill that hole. Ultimately, there's that unifying spark of inspiration and reflection through that single moment watching a film. I think that song is the ultimate portrait on grief.
Iris on the other hand is a lot more generic with its literal descriptions and 'hold me close' refrain. Very nice, but more the stuff of pop music and not the depth and genius of a song like Lemon.
It sums up Bono's decline as a lyricist in recent years, and that's coming from one of their stronger songs in recent years. As such, the less said about horror shows like American Soul, the better.
