U2's 'Invisible' Super Bowl Release: First Listen

I am now on my fourth listen of U2’s newest single, “Invisible,” released during the Super Bowl in order to help out a favorite cause of theirs—the Red Campaign—and one thing is clear: U2 wants, very much, to give you something that you’ll like.

The spirit of that shines through the song and its production. You will find the melody of the chorus wormed into to your ear by the third go-round, you will find yourself welcomed by (or completely turned off by, if you’re a U2 hater) the mix of the track. The production will seem to say, “hey, we’re U2, but we’ll put together some new tricks—new for us, at least.”

Because what this song does do, at least from a production stand point, is borrow. You will hear bits of programmed drumming throughout the song which feel reminiscent of a thinner, drier aesthetic—maybe the electronic sound Radiohead helped popularize over the last decade and a half.

You’ll hear the indie ghosts of four years past as well, the woozy, synthed-out lead parts of the sort I referenced in relation to Bruce Springsteen last week. (I don’t feel like I am recycling similes here: go ahead and listen to “Invisible,” then check out Augustana’s “Shot in the Dark” again and tell me if you hear the similarity.)

Even the structure will feel familiar: it hearkens back to older rock bands, the kind that favored more regimented arrangements–a verse, then a chorus, then another offering of both, then the scripted entry of a lead guitarist (think George Harrison onRubber Soul), the solo barely a solo in its ascetic devotion to a single, strong melody (The Edge provides one such solo).

To be fair, there’s also a whole lot of U2 here. The first verse stands somewhat naked, beckoning you to wait not just for its vocal, but for that iconic Edge guitar tone above all. But there is a slickness to its inevitability; by the time it does enter, you wonder if The Edge truly enjoys playing these guitar lines, or if he merely feels obligated now.

Certainly his guitar-work has become more than influential at this point—the spirit of it is now a quantifiable item, a marketable item, something a client in the realm of production or sound design can point to and say, “I want that.” Because of the ubiquity of Edge-like yearning in modern sound-scapes, there is something about its role in “Invisible” that feels grabbed out of the “U2 bag”.

But so what? Why not lead you towards their new album (expected in the spring) with their most obvious ploys? After all, as Bono himself put it, U2 feels like they need to remind us that they’re still here—not just here, but ready to sell a record. Why? Because in this instance, the single’s release is for a good cause, a favorite cause: the Red Campaign. For the next twenty four hours only, Bank of America will donate one dollar for every song downloaded from the iTunes store.

Doubtlessly, more substantive analyses will come, both of the efficacy of this music and the efficacy of its marketing campaign. I for one want to look deeper into how the more business-centric relationships between U2, Bank of America, Apple’s iTunes, and the Red Campaign will all benefit from this single’s release. But for now, the big question is this:

Is “Invisible” worth downloading for free within the next twenty four hours so that Bank of America will have to shell out money to help sick people?

Well, yes. Obviously.

But is the song any good?

It’s solid U2: if you’re a fan, you’ll still be a fan. If you’re not, this won’t help