Boy in Bloomington, MN

From the outset,
U2
went for the big message -- every song on their debut album
Boy
sounds huge, with oceans of processed guitars cascading around
Bono
's impassioned wail. It was an inspired combination of large, stadium-
rock
beats and
post-punk
textures. Without
the Edge
's echoed, ringing guitar,
would have sounded like a traditional
hard rock
band, since the rhythm section and
treat each song as an anthem. Of course, that's the charm of
: all of its emotions are on the surface, delivered with optimistic, youthful self-belief, yet the unusual, distinctive guitar textures give it an unexpected tension that makes it an exhilarating debut. The songs may occasionally show some weakness -- the driving
"I Will Follow,"
the dark
"An Cat Dubh,"
and the shimmering
"The Ocean"
stand out among the sonic textures -- yet the band's musical and lyrical vision keep
compelling until the finish. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine