Brian Eno features on reflective and hopeful new U2 record

Irish rock band U2 have released a reflective and hopeful new EP which includes a collaboration with musician Brian Eno.

Easter Lily was released on Friday ahead of the band’s album later this year, and is comprised of six tracks which reflect on themes of friendship, loss, hope and renewal.

The record, which also includes a tribute to the late American music producer Hal Willner, comes hot on the heels of the group’s latest EP, titled Days Of Ash, which was released in February.

The band – Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jnr – have been active since the 1970s and are known for their political activism and social commentary.

One of the tracks on the EP, titled Coexist (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?) has been described as a lullaby for parents of children caught up in war.

It features a soundscape from 77-year-old musician and activist Eno, who has had a decades-long collaborative relationship with the group.

Song For Hal sees the Edge, whose real name is David Evans, take the lead on the vocals in a touching tribute to the band’s friend Willner, who died on April 7 in 2020, aged 64.

The song explores the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns as it reflects on the death of Willner, who died from complications caused by the virus.

Other tracks on the record include a celebration of friendship and a song of encouragement, while Resurrection Song follows themes of pilgrimage and the idea of a trip into the unknown and Easter Parade celebrates new life, rebirth and resurrection.

Bono, real name Paul Hewson, said: “We are in the studio, still working towards a noisy, messy, ‘unreasonably colourful’ album to play live… which is where U2 lives.

“We still look to vivid rock ‘n’ roll as an act of resistance against all this awfulness on our small screens.

“These are for sure ‘wilderness years’ for so many of us looking at the mayhem out there in the world.

“It’s a time that has our band digging deeper into our lives to find a wellspring of songs to try meet the moment.

“With Easter Lily we ended up asking very personal questions like: Are our own relationships up to these challenging times? How hard do you fight for friendship?

“Can our faith survive the mangling of meaning that those algorithms love to reward?

“Is all religion rubbish and still ripping us apart? Or are there answers to find in its crevices?

“Are there ceremonies, rituals, dances that we might be missing in our lives?”

The frontman added that the title of the EP is a nod to American singer-songwriter Patti Smith’s album Easter, saying her record “gave me so much hope when it was released”.

He continued: “We will attempt hoopla and fanfare at a later date to remind the rest of the world we exist but in the meantime… This is between you and us.”

The new EP is accompanied by a special edition of U2’s magazine Propaganda, which was launched 40 years ago.

The issue, titled U2 – Propaganda – Easter Lily, features contributions from the brand, song lyrics and insight into the new EP, and is available for fans to read online.

Easter Lily is available to stream now on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music.