Blog: State Magazine

(Interscope) The commentators are saying that Ireland needs an Obama-like icon to lift us out of our current economic and social gloom; a figurehead to inspire celebration, to provide a pointer to a new and promising horizon. Well, wherever there's a cause, there's usually Bono and co. providing the timely, rousing, crowd-pleasing soundtrack. They've got the whole world in their hands, after all. Could U2's 12th studio album be that flagship of hope, sailing us bravely away from these troubled waters? Sadly, it just doesn't sound that way. [...]