McParadigm wrote:
Some of it probably comes down to the post-Riot Act push for relevancy. They're clearly favoring having an impactful and immediate cheap (or car) speaker 'first listen' over having a rich, engaging record that reveals more of itself over time and begs for headphones.
After the disappointments of the last few albums, I often wonder if at this point in their socio-economic lifecycle, if just having kids and significant others and mortgages and so on, has simply sucked their attention away during most of the day to the point that when it comes time to 'express the art du jour' what comes out lacks depth because its a forced act and not a reflection of a spiritual focus in their lives.
They used to 'got shit' ... so music was a central focus ... Now they got kids, wives, and parties with bono on exclusive islands that only wealthy activists know about... and maybe too much weed.
so the music sounds like it comes from any regular dope who spends too much time on their iPhone, rather than an artist for whom the sound and message are a reflection of an existential essential; because now they are just a bunch of regular dopes who spend too much time on their iPhones
