U2 Gets On Its Boots for First All-New Full-Length Record in Nine Years, ‘Carnaval de Luz,’ With More Callbacks to Band’s ’90s Peaks Than ’80s Glories: Album Review

U2’s *Carnaval de Luz* is the band’s first full-length album of new material in nine years, and the review finds it an imperfect but rewarding addition to their catalogue. Rather than recreate their 1980s sound, the 12-song record draws more on the band’s 1990s era, with energetic rock and a loose carnival theme.

The songs range across spiritual ideas, love and shared humanity, with Spanish phrases and dense, sometimes messy lyrics. Highlights include “Go (Carnaval de Luz)”, “La Reina” and “If the World Is at War We Better Not Be”; the closing track, “Torn”, is a duet with Dolly Parton, described as her last recorded song. The reviewer says the album’s appeal depends partly on how much listeners enjoy Bono’s unfiltered writing.