U2's 'Songs of Innocence' is a surprise -- both that it exists and that it's actually not bad

If the past nine months have taught us anything, it's that the surprise album drop can really change the conversation. It's easy to forget: Before her self-titled album hit iTunes like a depth charge last December, Beyoncé released a few would-be singles that never landed, and there had been rumors that the singer, struggling to put together a follow-up to her comparatively modestly selling "4," had recorded and scrapped an entire album.