EP Review: ‘Easter Lily’ by U2

According to Bono, U2’s latest EP Easter Lily is a very personal record “between you and us.”

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? From the rite of Spring to Easter and its promise of rebirth and renewal… Patti Smith’s album Easter gave me so much hope when it was released in 1978. I wasn’t yet 18. The title is a nod to her.

He’s right. There is something extremely intimate about Easter Lily that makes it feel comforting and safe (in a good way). The guitar work is spacious and reminiscent of the familiar tones found on albums like The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, and All That You Can’t Leave Behind. Truth be told, this is what I want out of U2 and I’m glad that we’ve gotten these two surprise EPs this year. Also, they absolutely need to do a medley of “Easter Parade” and Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie” at some point.

References
U2. (2026). Easter Lily EP [EP]. Island Records.

U2 - Easter Lily EP. (2026, April 3). U2. https://www.u2.com/music/other/4225