It has been almost three years since U2's Songs of Surrender came out, the first of the band's work that yours truly covered professionally, and almost six years longer since their last traditional album, Songs of Experience, was released.
Granted, it's not as if U2 has been completely off the map. Bono released his memoir and embarked on a solo tour, and the band has released several singles for various projects, ranging from “Ahimsa” to “Your Song Saved My Life” to “Atomic City” for their Sphere residency.
Still, it's fair to say most U2 fans have been starved for new material. While Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. are locked away in the studio working on their new album, they treated fans to a surprise EP release, Days Of Ash, on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18, 2026).
The wait was worth it. While it'd be easy to dismiss any positive sentiments about the new EP as absence making the heart grow fonder and fans being eager for anything new from the band, U2 may truly be back (not that they ever left).
Days Of Ash feels like a return to U2's punk-rock roots. Not only is it politically charged, but it also puts The Edge's guitar at the forefront once again.
U2's Days Of Ash EP review
Days Of Ash starts with a bang with “American Obituary.” The Edge's guitar riff greets you as Bono exclaims, “You have the right to remain silent… or not!”
Every song on Days Of Ash is a response to current events (right off the bat, Bono mentions Renee Nicole Good by name and her shooting in Minneapolis last month) and is written about various individuals. Of course, U2 is on the side of peace, as Bono sings, “I love you more than hate loves war,” in the chorus of “American Obituary.”
The song is a reminder of the power the people hold, something fellow punk-rocker Patti Smith lamented on “People Have the Power.” It concludes with the refrain, “The power of the people is so much stronger than the people in power.”
“American Obituary” is an immediate reminder of U2's musical brilliance. After The Edge begins the song with power chords, his riff harkens back to “Breathe” from No Line on the Horizon, and Clayton's bass powers through the verses.
All four members of the band are present, even Mullen, who's recovering from various injuries. Having him back as the glue of the group after the mostly acoustic Songs of Surrender is great.
How the EP brings the band back to their punk-rock roots
U2 began as a punk group. War — their third album — was what catapulted them to new heights behind politically charged songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Seconds,” and “New Year's Day.”
Since then, U2 has continued making statements with their music. From “Mothers of the Disappeared” (about the Madres de Plaza de Mayo and their lost children) to “One” (about the Berlin Wall) to, more recently, “Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way,” U2 has never been silent about topics they care about.
Perhaps current affairs reinvigorated the band to make Days Of Ash. The sense of agency that comes through in every one of the tracks proves the band has something to say — and they say it loudly.
They've still written topical songs over their last few albums (Songs of Innocence was mostly written about the band's upbringing in Dublin during The Troubles), but Days Of Ash feels extremely focused.
The best tracks
The best song on the EP is “Song of the Future,” which provides hope for the future. U2 is always looking ahead — Bono similarly pondered, “Are we betting on a future that's long gone in luck or in song?” on “Atomic City.”
Clayton's bass drives the song, much like his past work on “Two Hearts Beat As One” and “The Blackout.” Bono croons about the late Sarina Esmailzadeh. He promises that she's “not alone,” dubbing her the “song of the future.”
“Wildpeace” follows it up as a poem written by Yehuda Amichai and performed by Adeola. Jacknife Lee's (U2's longtime producer) presence can be felt with his atmospheric background music to which the poem is read.
Bono has previously teased “One Life At A Time,” and the finished product was worth the wait. “How much is enough?” he begins the song. “You can screw or fix things up / The world will align / One life at a time.”
Days Of Ash features some of Bono's strongest lyrics in years. He brilliantly weaves a constant theme of U2's work dating back to 2014's “Invisible”: “There is no them, there's only us.”
In “The Tears of Things,” he promises that “there is no us if there is no them.” He has found ways of weaving “there is no them, there's only us” into other songs like “One” during concerts. The sentiment remains even more prominent and fitting on Days Of Ash.
Ed Sheeran and Taras Topolia's collaboration
U2 rarely has features with artists of Ed Sheeran's caliber. Days Of Ash concludes with “Yours Eternally,” which was recorded with Sheeran and Taras Topolia.
They all begin by singing the opening refrain together. “Don't sleep / Don't even think about it / No need / Maybe a little bit / Still dream / About waking up free / As we can be,” they begin.
Some may overlook how much influence U2 has on Sheeran's music. It's hard to ignore how similar the anthemic “Castle on the Hill” sounds to something like “Where the Streets Have No Name.”
“Yours Eternally” is titled like a song Sheean would write, and his presence is natural. The closing track from Days Of Ash is surely the most radio-friendly of the group. It's the most modern U2 has sounded since How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, and it's such a unifying way to conclude the EP.
Should you listen to U2's Days Of Ash?
The last month has been full of legendary artists like Bruce Springsteen (who released “Streets of Minneapolis” on Jan. 24, 2026, and will embark on the Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour this spring) and U2 speaking their truth.
U2 has been relatively quiet for the last few years in terms of releasing new music. However, Days Of Ash proves that the band is still capable of being topical with the same agency and angst as their earlier work.
This bodes well for their next album. Even if Days Of Ash is a “self-contained” one-off, U2 should be extremely confident in where they're at. Some artists lose their sense of subtlety as they advance in their careers. At their core, U2 is still the same band they were in the '80s, and they're here to stay.
U2 has impressively always been able to adapt to the times. While they're a band approaching their 50th anniversary, they're just as contemporary as ever.
U2's Days Of Ash EP is out now.
