Rock band U2 released their sixteenth studio album, Carnaval De Luz, arriving on the fiftieth anniversary of the group’s founding in Dublin.
Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. first posted an advertisement on a school bulletin board seeking bandmates in Dublin fifty years ago, Novinky reported. The initial rehearsal took place in his kitchen on Sept. 25, 1976.
The new record follows a string of releases including 2009’s No Line on the Horizon, Songs of Innocence in 2014, Songs of Experience in 2017, and Songs of Surrender in 2023. This year’s spring EPs, Days Of Ash and Easter Lily, paved the way for the full-length release.
Jacknife Lee Returns to Produce New Tracks
Irish producer Jacknife Lee oversaw the production for both the recent EPs and the new album, Novinky reported.
Former producers Brian Eno and Steve Lillywhite participated in the sessions as guests and recording engineers.
Guitarist The Edge pushed his instrument back into the center of the sonic arrangement. That approach emerges clearly on tracks like the punk-leaning Silencio and the Rosalía tribute The Mirror Maker, according to Novinky.
Political Themes Surface in New Songwriting
Bono addresses modern global friction directly in the track If the World Is at War We Better Not Be. The song targets global conflicts, disinformation, and authoritarianism through spoken delivery.
“Nikdo není sám, ale nikdo o tom neví / Každý je na to sám, to vědí všichni,” Bono said of the track La Reina, which Novinky reported functions as a summary of the band’s output over the past twenty years.
Adam Clayton drives the rhythm on Superficiality with prominent basslines. The track also features Bono’s signature falsetto.
Band History and Track Details
- First rehearsal: Sept. 25, 1976, in Larry Mullen Jr.’s kitchen.
- Original name: Feedback, before shifting to U2 two years later.
- Latest producer: Jacknife Lee.
- Album length: 46 minutes and 42 seconds on Island Records.
Common Questions About the New U2 Release
Who produced Carnaval De Luz?
Irish producer Jacknife Lee handled production duties for the release, with former producers Brian Eno and Steve Lillywhite participating as studio engineers.
When did U2 hold their first rehearsal?
The band gathered for their first rehearsal in Larry Mullen Jr.’s kitchen on Sept. 25, 1976.
What notable guest appears on the track list?
Brian Eno collaborated with the band on the song The Greatest Show On Earth, continuing a creative relationship that began in 1984.
Track Follows Previous Album's Conclusion
The opening track of Carnaval De Luz directly follows the sonic conclusion of COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?), which closed the spring EP Easter Lily, Novinky reported.