Despite a long and troubled gestation period, U2’s next album is still in the works, and the band claim that they will have it in stores by the end of this year, possibly as early as next month. This contradicts previous reports that the band were delaying the album’s release until 2015 so that they could have more time to work in the studio.

“We’ve always said that an album was expected this year,” a representative of the band told Rolling Stone. The news from the band is consistent with reports in Irish media, which suggest a 2014 release from the band’s new album. Not only will the album likely come out this year, but other reports suggest that the band are planning to release the album without the typical fanfare that usually accompanies a new U2 album. Whether this was prompted by the relatively disappointing response to the band’s single “Invisible.”

The band’s followup to their 2009 album No Line On The Horizon has had a long path to completion. U2 originally intended to release a collection of songs from the Horizon sessions, but that idea was eventually scrapped in favor of a record with producers Paul Epworth and Danger Mouse, among others.