War

(1983)

After the spiritual fixation that bogged

October down, U2 came back aggressive on their third album with a politicallycharged collection that’s best represented by opener Sunday Bloody Sunday, fufeuelled by Edge’s arpeggiated riff and Larry Mullen’s militaristic beat. The guitarist’s huge sound takes flight here; the dramatic Like A Song pulses with his instinctive dynamics that form a springboard for a firebrand Bono. One of Edge’s greatest gifts is his acute awareness of space; dodging in and out of the funk punk of

Two Hearts Beat As One, but filling the acoustics of Drowning Man and exploring slide work in Surrender. While their debut, Boy, fizzled with post punk enthusiasm, this shows a maturing band keen to diversify. Download: Sunday Bloody Sunday