It's been five years since U2's last album, the sonically unique and experimental No Line on the Horizon, was released. The album itself was quickly overshadowed by the record-breaking 360-Degree Tour it spawned, which took the band across the world for nearly three years. Although there have been a few new songs debuted live (as well as the soundtrack to Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which isn't official U2 canon), "Invisible" represents our first look at the U2 we'll be seeing on the new album allegedly slated for release in 2014.
After the somewhat disappointing reception of No Line and the massive tour that followed it, it looked as though U2 would have to face a somewhat bittersweet truth: they will always have a fanbase, and they will never have another hit. With "Invisible," I may have to go back on that assessment. The synth flourishes, drum loops and distorted guitar recall a little bit of U2's 90's work, but it's also a distinctly modern, of-the-moment sound that wouldn't sound out of place on modern rock radio. As always, it's bolstered by U2's anthemic style and unwavering ambition; the ending refrain of "There is no them, there's only us," as bold a statement of inclusion as U2 have ever written, will likely have crowds shouting along at every stop of U2's next tour. And of course, U2 have tied their legacy of activism into the song's release: it was available for free on the day it dropped, with a dollar being donated to help fund AIDS research for every download.
"Invisible" is not a U2 classic by any means, however. The trendy production may get the track a few more chart positions, but ultimately, it will date the song; "Invisible" doesn't have the timeless quality of "Beautiful Day" or "Breathe," the high point of No Line. And, as much as it pains me to say it, Bono's voice just doesn't soar like it once did. He's not bad by any means, but his reduced range doesn't lend itself too well to huge anthems anymore.
Ultimately, we'll need to wait until the new album to see if "Invisible" represents yet another style change for U2, or if it's more of an outlier. In any event, U2 still have life in them after nearly 40 years, and whatever their new music sounds like, I'll still be standing in the pit on their next tour.
