Carnaval de Luz review: This is some of U2’s best work in more than 30 years

Even earnest Bono-isms carry weight amid music that is impassioned and rejuvenated

Rousing, restorative rock from a band ready to take on the world again

★★★★☆

Even artists who enjoy a seemingly unstoppable imperial period eventually seem to encounter spells of turbulence when the creative planets no longer align – which has been the story of U2’s last 20 years. Try as they might, nothing has matched their earlier albums – especially that mostly uninterrupted golden run from their 1980 debut Boy to 90s benchmarks Achtung Baby and Zooropa.