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Despite its name, the single is anything but quiet: its sound is energetic, snappy, youthful and rebellious. With a fast-paced, thudding drum beat and fierce electric guitars, the track is reminiscent of post-punk or garage rock. With it described as “a homage to early surf-punk insolence”, its raw tone reflects some of their earlier work but with a modern twist. Vastly different from the anthemic and hopeful ‘Street of Dreams’, these releases indicate a refreshing and varied turn for the band, showing that they are ready to make a statement with their first new music in nine years. There is a sense of adrenaline driving their return.
‘Silencio’ is lyrically concerned with the power of silence and noise. Bono sings of a “quiet”, “hush” or “whisper” which can reveal a lot, such as “another soul” or “the mystery”. Yet the most repeated idea is that silence is loud, something echoed in the loudness of the track itself: “in the silence the devil rock and rolls”. Silence can be provocative and brutal: “there’s a quiet sayin’, shut your f*ckin’ mouth”. Perhaps in a world where silence is so hard to find, the track is literally a call for a little more quiet.
The track’s official music video plays with these concepts, with the band playing to a practically empty room, singing of “crowd control” to a nearly non-existent crowd where the chairs are being stacked away. Featuring a couple dancing, which blends into a violent gang, the video’s eye-catching visuals reflect the chaos and ambiguity of the track itself.
With ‘Silencio’, U2 promises a strong 16th album, and if its name says anything, it will be one full of chaos, nostalgia and celebration.
Emily Sanderson
Image: ‘Carnaval De Luz’ Official Album Cover
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