October [Island; 1981]
October is the most overlooked album in U2’s discography. It’s so “tucked underneath the carpet” that no track was included in any of their greatest hits packages, not even “Gloria,” the album’s best track.
The reason this is so is mostly due to Bono having nothing to say, at least nothing profound, after the band lost a briefcase filled with lyrics. As a result it wasn’t as brave as Boy, nor as energetic as War. It is, however, subtler, trading lyrics for more complex song progression. But complex does not always mean better, and October is a perfect example of this. There are more surprises, but the album just isn’t as engaging as anything they released before or after. It also makes less sense as an U2 album as the years go by, as we continue to associate U2 with hooks and choruses.
Despite its short comings, October does have some amazing tracks within it, namely the first three tracks. The album also has a better sense of momentum than its predecessor, cooling down for two tracks, “Tomorrow” and “October” before firing the canons again. You can tell that the band tried to make this another great album, but its short comings do outweigh its strengths, making for a relatively impressive first listen but you never feel like going back to it again, especially when the ideas explored within are presented better from then onwards.
6.9/10