U2 sounded so confident and assured on their debut that perhaps it was inevitable they would stumble slightly on its follow-up,
October. The record isn't weaker than its predecessor because it repeats the formula of
Boy. It's because the band tries too hard to move forward.
Bono, in particular, tries too hard to make big political, emotional, and religious statements, but the remainder of the band isn't innocent. In general, the music is too pompous, with the sound overwhelming the actual songs. But when
U2 do marry the message, melody, and sound together, as on "Gloria," "I Threw a Brick Through a Window," and "I Fall Down," the results are thoroughly impressive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine