Disco de Coldplay: “X&Y”

Thanks to the relentless punch of the publicity machine, we all know that Coldplay now has a new album, and as it happens, "X & Y" turns out to be a good one. It's been a wild ride for the English band. Since their 2002 "A Rush of Blood to the Head," Coldplay have turned into international superstars, often inviting comparisons to U2 (and the comparisons are fairly accurate, as far as this reviewer is concerned) and developing a diverse mix of fans. Coldplay's latest album treads familiar ground, with a few welcome surprises and more of the same brand of sweeping rock listeners have come to expect. A moody piano, a subtle string section, and Chris Martin's earnest voice highlight the ballad "What If," while "White Shadows" is a mellow rocker whose guitar recalls the Edge from U2. But the song that almost made my jaw drop is "Talk," which steals the hook from "Computer Love" by Kraftwerk (I am not kidding). Coldplay influenced by the German synth quartet? Yes, it's true. The rest of the album follows a similar pattern: big sweeping melodies, choruses that soar kite-high, and no real duds. While odds are "X & Y" will be just as big a multiplatinum seller as its predecessor, it should also prove that Coldplay is more than "That British Band Whose Lead Singer Married That Hollywood Actress."

The recipe for Coldplay's massive commercial success with their "X&Y" album is simple--first, have some incredibly banal, faux-uplifting, lowest common denominator lyrics on hand; start the tune off with an atmospheric, drumless intro; then steadily build up to a 'big', 'anthemic', densely-produced chorus; end the song with a little outro to ease the listener out of the song. Then, repeat the process until there's enough material to fill out a full album. Oh, and give the album's first single--"Speed Of Sound"--an opening piano riff that's a virtual clone of the one from their previous smash hit "Clocks".

That's essentially what's going on here. I'm not denying that the band has talent for nicely-produced, tuneful pop-rock songs that are sometimes even ear-catching. The thing is though, these guys are trying to turn basically every song into some kind of soul-stirring anthem, and that's simply never going to happen with such consistently lame, obvious, witless, and crassly-calculated lyrics about how they will "try to fix you" and how "you don't have to be alone". To put it another way, the 'hugeness' of the music is incompatible with the thinness of the lyrics, and it really gets to be disheartening by the end of the album.

I'll admit that Chris Martin's vocal delivery isn't BAD. He does have a nice falsetto, and he knows how to use it effectively, sometimes when you're not expecting it. Frankly, he even manages to beat Bono at his own game--Martin's vocals aren't nearly as pretentious and overblown as Bono's are. However, it's still laughable how Martin takes the shallow lyrics so damn seriously all the time as if they're high poetry--the melodically toothless intro on "Swallowed In The Sea" is the most eyeroll-inducing example of this.

Musically, the band does have talent. Nice use of atmospherics, bass lines, and overtones help make the music highly listenable--their co-producers Danton Supple and Ken Nelson probably deserve at least some of the credit for this. The group also knows a thing or two about assimilating musical influences--they neatly weave Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" melody into "Talk" (the composers of the original "Computer Love" ARE credited here in the booklet); the bit before the chorus on "Speed Of Sound" instantly recalls "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush, another influence the band has openly admitted to.

The only way I can understand anyone thinking this album is a masterpiece is because they simply haven't listened to that much music. I mean, it's 2006, folks. This album, which came out in June of last year, really doesn't offer us anything musically that hadn't already been done, and with far better lyrics matched to it. If you took a really talented lyricist and singer, a Jackson Browne for instance, and stuck him in front of Coldplay, the difference could be tremendous, supplying the group with an emotional center that it so desperately lacks. As it is, the group remains stuck at, ahem, "Square One"--okay, okay, not THAT bad (sorry, I couldn't resist), but you get the idea.

Capitol Records is right to use Coldplay as the reason their stock rises or falls. With the release of X&Y, Coldplay has really taken their place as one of the more influential bands of our time. The reviews here have been mixed, but those one-star reviews really should be ignored on the release date. No one can give a fair review after one listen. I've been listening to this album all day....start to finish and over again.

This is by far Coldplay's breakthrough album. Yes, even more so than A Rush of Blood to the Head. I really don't understand all the comparisons to U2. Yes, Martin's voice sounds a bit like Bono's, but the musical style is completely different. X&Y is unmistakably Coldplay. The same vocal style, the same lullaby crooning, and the same ethereal crecendos. Only this time, they've added a synth here and there. The synths, however, don't overpower the live instrumentation. It's used merely as a support element. The result is that the music sounds more lush and has much more depth than in the first two records.

The first half of the album is so sonically uplifting it gives me chills. "Square One" and "Fix You" are almost reminiscent of Pink Floyd in their use of layered guitars (wow, the guitars on this album!) and layered vocals. The song "What If" is almost reminiscent of Sigur Ros in its ending swell. The very upbeat songs, "White Shadows" and "Talk" are also magical in their own right. The second half of the album starts out strongly with "Speed of Sound". This track is the only one that's of the same style as the first two albums. It's almost a perfect blend of "Clocks" and "Moses" (from the Live 2003 set). The album takes a less exciting turn after this song that begins to recover with "Swallowed in the Sea" and finishes strong with the amazing "Twisted Logic". Then, after it seems to end perfectly with this track (and 30 seconds of silence), the hidden track "Til Kingdom Comes" arrives like an encore. While not at all like the other tracks on this album (rumor has it that it was written for Johnny Cash), this is still a pretty cool little song.

All the rumors about Chris Martin's marriage to Gwyneth and his new fatherhood status ruining this album are completely unfounded. Yes, a song or two is probably about Gwyneth, but it's not gushy, rather it's done quite tastefully. This is an incredible album by Coldplay. Sadly, I think people's expectations were so high that no matter how good it is, it won't be as universally loved as A Rush of Blood to the Head. Too bad, this is truly the defining Coldplay album.

I particularly love "Speed of Sound."

I've never cared WHAT music critics think - what they like or what they don't like impresses me not a whit. These are the same geniuses who think that cursing and calling women filthy names over a drum machine is music.

At 53, I have definite ideas about what I like...and if I like it, that's all that counts.

I don't need some "hater" to tell me what I should think is good.

Great album. And I think Chris Martin is adorable.

I highly recommend X&Y.

There have plenty of reviewers of this album that want their "Old Coldplay" back. They want Parachutes or ROBTTH. Lots of piano, quiet, moody songs. Some of Parachutes was so quiet you could barely hear it! This is NOT the same album done a third time (neither was ROBTTH). This is Coldplay moving forward. It is a more rocking record with a richer, full sound. Put earphones on and your head will spin upon first listen! But after a few plays all the way through the songs begin to sink in and mean something more. I feel this is Coldplay's Sargent Pepper (not blasphemy, I hope). All the songs feel connected, and I hear a lot of love songs here. Inspired by GP? Who knows, they are beautiful. Coldplay has gotten a lot of flak in reviews so far but the fans know what they like. It's a wonderful CD.