Passengers is a collaboration between
U2 and
Brian Eno, so it should come as no surprise that the music on
Original Soundtracks 1 is an extension of
U2's last album,
Zooropa. Under
Eno's influence, the group incorporates more ambient electronic soundscapes, which unravel over the course of the album. In fact,
Original Soundtracks 1 sounds more like a
Brian Eno album than a
U2 release, except when the band's knack for anthemic pop songwriting shines through every once and a while. The most affecting example of this is "Miss Sarajevo," a slowly pulsating and melancholy collaboration with
Luciano Pavarotti, who makes the middle eight soar. Equally impressive is the sweeping "Your Blue Room," which stands as one of
U2's finest ballads. Nevertheless, the heart of the album is in its instrumentals, where the band -- particularly
the Edge and
Eno -- manages to keep the constantly shifting sonic colors and textures involving and intriguing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine