d
COLDPLAY
RATING: 7
PLAY THESE: SHIVER, YELLOW, EVERYTHING'S NOT LOST
SKIP THESE: NONE
Bedwetter music, anyone? The answer is an unequivocal "yes" - but only if it's as good as Parachutes, the excellent debut album from Coldplay. I suppose that makes me a bedwetter too (or perhaps a "stoodent," as the ever cerebral Liam Gallagher would claim), but that's OK - I can take it. The album sort of combines ballad-mode Radiohead with the grandiose arena rock tendencies of U2 (with a touch of jazz as well), merging them into a nice little musical package designed for aging rock fans (25-35) who are beginning to hate all of the new music out there but still aren't ready to pick up that Snorah Jones CD just yet. It's a great CD to throw on while you're falling asleep - nice and relaxing, almost completely bereft of loud guitars and other such trifling nonsense.
On the flip side, the album's Middle-Of-The-Road tendencies are a bit of a liability, and it's hard not to wish the band would just turn up the volume and rock out just a little bit (at least once, please). Still, it's hard to criticize something as inherently listenable as Parachutes. Chris Martin has a pleasant voice, with a pretty decent range to boot, and the band is made up of a some very good players, including Martin himself, who plays the piano rather well.
So what are the best songs? Well, unless you've been living under a rock you'll likely be well acquainted with the massive hit 'Yellow,' with it's sweeping melody and trademark Coldplay quarter note "chug-chug-chug-chug-chug" downbeat thing that the band does so effectively. It's easily one of the best songs in the past decade or so - a true classic (although I still get the nagging feeling I've heard that distinctive melody before). The waltz-like indie-rock track 'Shiver' is also very good; that cascading guitar riff in the chorus is very, very catchy. Also praiseworthy is the lighters-aloft, made-for-stadiums ballad 'Everything's Not Lost,' which ranks as one of the better U2 tracks out there.
As for the filler, there really isn't any to speak of, although I can't say that I like the dull, linear arrangement on 'Trouble' quite as much as a lot of people do. But all in all, it's a great debut from a band that has gotten even better in preceding years.
As an aside, did you know that the mainland Chinese government banned Parachutes because of the track 'Spies'? Apparently, the song's lyrical content hit far too close to home for the authorities. Strange but true.....
A
RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD
(2002)
RATING: 9
PLAY THESE: POLITIK, THE SCIENTIST, DAYLIGHT
SKIP THESE: A WHISPER
While 2000's debut album Parachutes proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Coldplay was a very good band, A Rush of Blood to the Head represents the group's unexpected - though entirely welcome - bid for the coveted title of "world's best band." And while they're not quite at a Radiohead/U2 level just yet, it is clear that future greatness is in the cards for the English quartet. Where Parachutes was consistently listenable (though a bit dull at times), A Rush Of Blood to the Head is as the title suggests: compelling, energizing, and beautiful.
The band's trademark blend of U2 and Radiohead is still present, but they seem to have developed their own unique sound as well, proving to the doubters that they are no mere Bends-era tribute band. Politics also feature more prominent in the lyrics, which gives the music more immediacy, more depth. As alluded to earlier, the band has turned up the "excitement factor" several notches higher, as laid-back ambience of the debut record has been replaced by a louder, more dynamic sound - a bit more "rock," if you will (somewhat reminiscent of Pink Floyd). Nowhere is this change in style more evident than on the very effective album opener, 'Politik,' the first aggressive bars of which signal the band's coming of age. When Martin exhorts the listener to "open up your eyes," it's hard not to think that Bono - rock's ageing high priest - just might be looking over his shoulder. Yes, Coldplay has come of age - and it's only their second album.
There are some other great mini-epics as well, including 'God Put A Smile On Your face,' the sneering title track ("I'm gonna buy me a gun and start a war/ if there's something worth fighting for), and the intriguingly circular Eastern-tinged track 'Daylight,' with its swirling, hypnotic riff and trippy psychedelic fade-out. It's the kind of music that Coldplay previously showed little sign of being capable of making - it's truly exceptional. And we haven't even mentioned the album's hit singles yet, the best of which is the plaintive ballad 'The Scientist,' a great piano-based tune with a typically sweeping Martin melody. 'Clocks' is another piano-driven number, but this track is an aggressive one, featuring a distinctive cascading piano riff and nice dynamics. As for the biggest hit, the poppy 'In My Place,' it's a bit of an anomaly on the album, but it's chiming guitars and hooky chorus make it worth a listen. The nicest pop tune, though, is the heartbreaking ballad 'Warning Sign,' a track hidden on the album's second half - it's an unjustly neglected gem.
In the end, A Rush of Blood To The Head is a very good sophomore effort from a band that has the potential to become the band of the decade. Buy it now.
RATING: 7
PLAY THESE: POLITIK, GOD PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE, EVERYTHING'S NOT LOST
SKIP THESE: ONE I LOVE, MOSES
Originally packaged with the DVD by the same name, Live 2003 is a superfluous live CD that for some inexplicable reason contains exactly the same performances found on the said DVD. As such, it's existence is a bit puzzling, although I suppose some fans may occasionally feel inclined to listen to the audio without bothering to flick on their TV sets. Still, the live set is much more effective when matched with the live footage, which reveals the band as a well-polished arena rock act.
Recorded live in Sydney in late 2003, the CD/DVD collection documents an important era of the band's development for posterity - and sounds pretty darn good to boot. We learn that the band is actually a lot more energetic and "louder" in a live setting than on its recordings, and that Chris Martin is actually quite animated as a frontman. I was fortunate enough to catch Coldplay at GM Place in Vancouver a few months prior to this performance, so for myself the CD/DVD combo has a certain nostalgic factor that draws me towards it. However, I'm not sure that many casual fans will need to purchase this glorified concert souvenir, as it is basically a prematurely-released greatest hits collection with some crowd noise. Yes, there are a few new songs ('One I Love' and 'Moses') included to entice fans to buy, but from I can tell you from experience that their main purpose at the concert was to act as a cue for the crowd to take a bathroom break.
The other major problem with the CD is that is does not include 5 or so of the better performances found on the DVD, which unfortunately includes the likes of 'The Scientist' and 'Daylight,' among other great songs. The final verdict? Don't buy the CD unless it comes packaged with the DVD.
RATING: 8
PLAY THESE: FIX YOU, SPEED OF SOUND, SWALLOWED IN THE SEA
SKIP THESE: SQUARE ONE, TWISTED LOGIC
The most anticipated rock album release since U2's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb hit store shelves last November, Coldplay's new offering X&Y is already one of the fastest selling albums of all-time in the good old US of A - no mean feat, considering a mere five years ago these guys were complete unknowns outside of the British indie circuit. This album has been so highly anticipated that the price of EMI's stock market shares actually dipped upon news that X&Y would be delayed a few months. When you're one of the biggest bands in the world, and the future of your record company depends on the success of your new album, then you gotta know that the stakes are very, very high.
With this in mind, it will come as little surprise that X&Y is a rather safe album, designed from its inception to achieve worldwide Starbuck-like domination via slick production, mid-tempo ballads, and Chris Martin's sweet, Hollywood-starlet wooing vocals. This album is the musical equivalent of a chai tea latte - it tastes very nice and goes down easily, but it lacks the hyper-caffeinated edge that you'd get from a raunchy cup of black coffee at Bob's Diner just down the street. This music will unquestionably rule the world, and Coldplay will steal the "biggest band in the world" title from U2 over the next year, but one gets the feeling that Coldplay is already on autopilot at this stage in their career.
Nevertheless, the album is still a very good one. It starts off rather poorly with the ironically circular 'Square One,' one of the most lifeless, ineffective album openers I've heard in a long time, but things get back on track with the dual punch of 'What If' and 'White Shadows.' Both tracks sounds more like U2 than U2 does these days, and as such it is not difficult to understand their appeal. Mid-tempo balladry massive in scope and sound, these two tracks are the basic template for the entire album - just mix Radiohead melodies with U2 soundscapes, and you've got yourself a Coldplay tune.
Things get even better with 'Fix You,' which is quite possibly the most transcendent song that Martin and company have every come up with. It starts off quaintly enough, just an organ and a plaintive Martin vocal, but it eventually builds to a massive sing-along chorus and soaring guitars at the climax. Great guns, this is good! The next big highlight comes with 'Speed Of Sound,' which is the lead-off single from the album. It's difficult to ignore the similarity to 'Clocks' in the verses - the cascading piano riff is a direct "lift" from the smash hit single - but the composition more than redeems itself with its big chorus and great hook. Good title too.
As far as the ballads go, there's a lot of 'em, but my personal fave is 'Swallowed In The Sea,' which is a lot more modest in scope than much of the rest of the material. It's just a nice song, similar to 'The Scientist' in sound and structure, but has a really nice innocence about it that makes it stand out from the well-polished pack.
In terms of the "minuses," it must be said that this album lacks any semblance of the harder-edged tracks (such as 'Politik' or 'Daylight') that made A Rush Of Blood To The Head so memorable. The only true attempt to create such a song is the album-closing 'Twisted Logic,' which comes off as sounding awkward, and a bit forced as well. I was hoping that the band would travel a little bit further down this path, and rock out just a little bit more.
In closing, if you liked both of the other Coldplay albums, you'll undoubtedly enjoy this one too. It's not quite as compelling or powerful as A Rush Of Blood, and the songwriting isn't quite as memorable, but it's a very well-produced, and only an idiot would deny its strengths, which are many. However, Coldplay will need to step out of its comfort zone if it hopes to hold the public's interest beyond the next couple of years.