# U2 return to expansive rock on first album in almost a decade

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/u2-carnaval-de-luz-review-rousing-restorative-rock-from-a-band-ready-to-take-on-the-world-again/
- Published: 2026-11-09T10:00:06+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T10:32:53+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/nov/09/u2-carnaval-de-luz-review
- Topics: Culture, Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- U2 sound rejuvenated on their first new album in nearly a decade.
- *Carnaval de Luz* returns to loud guitars and expansive rock.
- The review praises its uplifting music and several standout tracks.

## Summary

U2 return with their first album of new songs in almost a decade, sounding energised and newly confident after a long period in which their later work struggled to match their earlier success. The review sees *Carnaval de Luz* as a restorative return to loud guitars and the band’s expansive rock sound, intended to offer joy amid anxious times.

The album is U2’s 16th studio release, with Larry Mullen Jr back on drums after medical issues; it follows the politically focused *Days of Ash* EP, released in February. Standout tracks include “Go (Carnaval de Luz)”, “La Reina” and “The Greatest Show on Earth”, while the reviewer says the record’s spiritual themes and familiar earnestness are carried by impassioned, uplifting music.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.