SOUND JUDGEMENT

THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED AND REVIEWED

U2: SONGS OF EXPERIENCE HHHHH

THANK you Santa. A new album from U2 is just what I wanted for Christmas – writes Marion McMullen

And is has definitely been worth the wait – offering everything from the rousing American Soul to the poignant (There Is A Light) – that is right up there with the band’s classic songs like One and Love Is Blindness.

There is everything from pure pop to rock on offer, but the simplicity of some of the tracks can be deceptive. As Bono sings on The Showman (Little More Better): “It is what it is, but it’s not what it seems.”

What is certain is that this is the perfect calling card to the band’s tour dates next year. Hearing these songs performed live is going to be special.

MIGUEL – WAR & LEISURE HHHHH

FOLLOWING the darkly intense 2015 R&B masterpiece Wildheart, Miguel makes his much longed for return with his fourth studio album, bringing with him his signature R&B/rock infusion style, tinged with psychedelia, dreamy interludes and soft vocals.

There are serious party vibes in War & Leisure, but fewer lyrics about love and death and, overall, the album seems to be more leisure than war.

Miguel’s more positive stance on life is clear, but the most notable change is how he’s taken his vocals to another level. He hits the challenging notes soulfully, effortlessly. Hints of bird song and harps and hazy echoes give the album a heavenly feel – it’s a strong progression and displays his maturity as an artist.

VAN MORRISON - VERSATILE HHHHH

WITH Versatile, Van Morrison brings out his third album of the year with a nostalgic melange of swing classics and freshly-penned pastiches.

The band is vibrant and fresh, and Van’s voice – though a little reaching at times – remains as charming as ever.

It is during such jazz standards as Gershwin’s A Foggy Day and Bye Bye Blackbird that Morrison shows the strengths and limitations of a triple-album year. Both will be well-loved by the collectors and the long-time fans, but will draw no new listeners with their tried and tested formulae.

Though his covers are somewhat unimaginative (another recording of Unchained Melody?) he proves his already stunning compositional credentials by restoring an unfettered quality that harks back to his prime.