U2 have gone back to basics. After spending most of the nineties trying to get away from their stadium-rock image, they've given up on experimentation and made their most straightforward album for ages. The result is a record filled with potential hits: soulful songs with big tunes, melodic guitars and thumping beats, any of which could easily have come from the glory days of The Joshua Tree. The only problem, oddly enough, is Bono. While his voice is as powerful as it's ever been, his lyrics about the evils of materialism are less than convincing and there are moments where it all gets a bit preachy and self-indulgent. Nevertheless the verdict has to be that this is one of the most accessible and enjoyable albums U2 have ever made.