U2 Days of Ash EP
U2's Days of Ash EP arrives as a terse, politically charged statement that finds the band reclaiming protest music with renewed urgency and emotional restraint. Across eight professional reviews, critics point repeatedly to “American Obituary”, “The Tears Of Things” and “Song Of The Future” as the record's clearest standouts, with the collaborative “Yours Eternally (feat. Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia)” and “One Life At A Time” also earning notice for their topical compassion and melodic ballast.
The critical consensus lands at a 68/100 from eight reviews, a reception that frames the EP as a purposeful, if uneven, reanimation of U2's protest instincts. Reviewers consistently praise the opening tracks for channeling rage and mourning into lean, immediate songs: “American Obituary” registers as confrontational and galvanizing, while “The Tears Of Things” offers rare restraint and Cohenesque lyricism. Critics note recurring themes - war and conflict, mourning, solidarity, and political urgency - and many credit the quick turnaround with sharpening the band's focus rather than diluting it. Professional reviews also observe a tension between rawness and radio-ready production, and some find the Ed Sheeran cameo swamped by mainstream tones even as others view it as deepening the EP's emotional reach.
Taken together, the reviews suggest Days of Ash EP works best as a compact campaign record: a stopgap that reintroduces U2's moral voice and points toward future work. For anyone searching "Days of Ash EP review" or wondering what the best songs on Days of Ash EP are, critics consistently direct attention to “American Obituary”, “The Tears Of Things” and “Song Of The Future” as the tracks most likely to linger beyond the EP.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
American Obituary
8 mentions
"Opener American Obituary absolutely boots its way of the speakers with Never Mind The Bollocks aggro"— Mojo
The Tears Of Things
8 mentions
"The Tears Of Things, meanwhile, is a very different beast, being a slowly unfurling, five-minute-plus, Leonard Cohenesque tale"— Mojo
Song Of The Future
8 mentions
"The Edge's fizzy, phasing guitar riff in Song Of The Future, replete with a multi-movement pop melody"— Mojo
Opener American Obituary absolutely boots its way of the speakers with Never Mind The Bollocks aggro
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
American Obituary
The Tears Of Things
Song Of The Future
Wildpeace
One Life At A Time
Yours Eternally (feat. Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia)
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 9 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
U2 return on Days of Ash EP with a fierce political immediacy that makes the best tracks feel urgent and necessary. The standout “American Obituary” channels rage into lament with a classic Edge riff and biting bass, while quieter gems like “The Tears Of Things” dazzle with folk-inflected melody and visionary lyricism. “Song Of The Future” and “One Life At A Time” carry devastating restraint, turning individual stories into powerful protest songs.
Key Points
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The best song, "American Obituary", is best for combining political immediacy with a classic U2 musical punch.
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The EP’s core strength is its fusion of restrained, devastating storytelling and forceful, public protest songwriting.
Themes
Critic's Take
On Days of Ash U2 sound reinvigorated, returning to protest songs with real teeth, and the best tracks here - notably “American Obituary” and “Song Of The Future” - capture that righteous fury. Tom Doyle writes in the same clipped, enthused tone he uses throughout the review, praising the rush of punk-inflected energy in “American Obituary” and the Achtung Baby-era fizz in “Song Of The Future”. He also singles out the slower, more stately “The Tears Of Things” as a powerful, Cohenesque counterpoint that deepens the EP.
Key Points
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The best song, "American Obituary", is best because it channels punk fury into a rallying protest chant.
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The EP's core strengths are political urgency, a return to raw rock energy, and strong melodic hooks.
Themes
Critic's Take
In his urgent, slightly breathless tone Neil McCormick presents U2's Days of Ash EP as their rawest bout of political songwriting in decades, praising songs like “Yours Eternally (feat. Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia)” and “American Obituary” for their pull between punky rage and aching lullaby. He frames the EP as a campaign record, direct and unvarnished, where the guest spot from Ed Sheeran deepens the emotional thrust rather than diluting it. The result, in McCormick's voice, is a concise set of urgent tracks that answer the question of the best songs on Days of Ash EP by putting the anthemic “Yours Eternally (feat. Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia)” and the confrontational “American Obituary” at the fore.
Key Points
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The best song is “Yours Eternally (feat. Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia)” for its soldier's-letter origin and anthemic delivery.
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The album's core strengths are its urgent political focus and emotional directness across punky rage and weary lullabies.
Themes
Critic's Take
In terse, urgent prose the review frames U2’s Days Of Ash EP as songs of defiance and dismay, with the best tracks being plainly topical. The review treats “American Obituary” and “Song Of The Future” as immediate responses to horrific events, songs that honor specific people and moments. The tone is documentary-like and compassionate, arguing that these are urgent songs that could not wait to be heard.
Key Points
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The best song is "American Obituary" for its direct, urgent response to a shocking real-world injustice.
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The album's core strengths are topical urgency, storytelling about victims of violence, and international solidarity.
Themes
Critic's Take
Alexis Petridis finds that on Days of Ash EP U2 have recaptured a rare, righteous anger, especially on “American Obituary” and the crisp, urgent “The Tears Of Things”. He frames the EP as an attempt to reanimate protest songwriting rather than a teaser for the next album, noting quieter consolations on tracks such as “Song Of The Future” and the hazier ambience elsewhere.
Key Points
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The best song is “American Obituary” because it channels a renewed, righteous anger both lyrically and musically.
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The album’s core strengths are political urgency, concise protest songwriting, and a regained sense of zeal and purpose.
Themes
Critic's Take
U2's Days of Ash EP lands as a compact, topical statement that foregrounds songs like “American Obituary” and “The Tears Of Things” as the most urgent pieces. The review voice is measured but impressed, noting how the band tackles Israel, Ukraine and ICE with a seriousness that makes those tracks stand out. It also stresses the EP's role as a bridge to a sunnier, larger album project, which frames these best tracks as both protest and prelude. The result answers questions about the best songs on Days of Ash EP by pointing listeners toward the politically charged openers as the clearest highlights.
Key Points
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The best song(s) are the politically urgent openers like "American Obituary" because they foreground the EP's topical focus.
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The album's core strengths are its topical urgency and its role as a bridge toward a more celebratory full-length record.
Themes
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Critic's Take
U2 return on Days of Ash EP with an elegiac edge, and the best songs - notably “American Obituary” and “Song Of The Future” - land with uneasy clarity. Mullally’s voice registers equal parts weary appraisal and reluctant admiration, as these tracks fold big gestures into hushed reflection. She singles out the EP's collaborative reach and its preoccupation with mortality, which is why the best tracks on Days of Ash EP feel like shards of a conversation rather than arena anthems. The result is an EP that rewards close listening more than immediate uplift, and those two songs are where it pays off most.
Key Points
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The best song is best because it condenses the EP's elegiac tone into a focused, resonant moment.
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The album’s core strengths are its reflective mood and small-scale collaborations that reward attentive listening.
Themes
Critic's Take
Breaking a long creative rut, U2 return with Days of Ash EP, a six-song set where earnest protest and self-awareness collide. The reviewer's affection surfaces most clearly for “The Tears Of Things” and “American Obituary”, songs that show Bono stretching emotionally and the band learning to breathe again.
Key Points
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The best song, "The Tears Of Things," succeeds by letting the music breathe and revealing genuine restraint.
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The EP's core strengths are earnest protest themes and moments of renewed self-awareness amid occasional sloganeering.