Mere hours from now, U2 will release Carnaval De Luz, their first album of new material in nine years. As part of the promotional blitz, the band has spoken to NME, sharing praise for a new generation of alt-rockers. Specifically, the Edge loves the politically charged Brighton punk band Lambrini Girls: “I’m just so jealous of them. Now that’s a sound I would love to hear on a U2 album. Just the sonics are fantastic.” He’s also a Geese fan, naturally: “I love what they’re doing, and Cameron Winter’s solo stuff as well. Did you see him on Jimmy Kimmel when he played ‘Drinking Age’? Wow.”
Bono, too, has thoughts on Mr. Winter:
He’s the man who understands the power of a silhouette. An original silhouette only comes along every 10 or 20 years. I went to see Geese and he was standing with his back to us. He knows about shadows. The band were going at it like Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, the drummer was incredible, but he was pulling some shapes. As a shape-puller, I appreciated that.
As for their fellow Irish stadium-rockers Fontaines D.C., “We’re huge fans of theirs,” the Edge says. Bono appreciates the way they raise the bar for their peers: “You have to up your game when people step into the room like Fontaines D.C.” As someone who wrote a song about Rosalía for the new U2 album, he of course also appreciates Fontaines’ Rosalía collab “Where Is Gone?” His comments:
But Grian [Chatten] has got a very unique spirit. Everyone thinks of singers and songwriters as going around with a diviner, but I think the reason you’re drawn to certain music is like that and you then explain it to yourself later. They just work very well together that band, they’ve got something extraordinary. That was a great song they did with Rosalía.
Carnaval De Luz features the late Dolly Parton’s final recording, a duet called “Torn.” A country remix of the song by Kent Wells was serviced to radio stations today, and Good Morning America broadcasted an excerpt:
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Parton’s Instagram account shared a note she wrote to Bono about her work on the song, dated June 2 of this year. “Hope you like what I did,” Parton wrote. “I did quite a few things. Take from it what you want and what you need, but I love the song, and I think it could be something really special. Thanks for including me in your life. I’ve always loved you and always will.” Look at Dolly Parton posthumously bringing a tear to my eye!
But wait, there’s more! U2 played an intimate show at London’s Tate Modern for the BBC last week, and today the first official video from that gig has emerged. The BBC has shared footage of U2 performing “The Greatest Show On Earth,” by far the best single from Carnaval De Luz so far. You can watch that below.
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Carnaval De Luz is out 11/13 on Island.