First review of Coldplay album

by Gordon Smart

 

AN album by some band I had never heard of landed on my desk yesterday. I nearly lobbed it in the drawer of unheard music next to SCOUTING FOR GIRLS’ last release.

 

But the innocuous sleeve with an obscure codename was in fact holding the biggest album of the year — possibly the decade.

 

I can bring you the first full review of the new COLDPLAY CD, out on June 12. And I think epic is the word. The full title — Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends — should have been a clue.

 

The band have really pushed the boundaries of what we expect from an album, producing a beautiful, serious and sometimes testing 45-minute disc.

 

The attention to detail is incredible. You can imagine CHRIS MARTIN, GUY BERRYMAN, JONNY BUCKLAND and WILL CHAMPION obsessing over every note and word in this, their fourth album.

 

The boys have developed and evolved their songwriting with each of their albums — from Parachutes, released in 2000, to A Rush of Blood To The Head two years later, then X&Y and now this.

 

They haven’t gone off the rails with drugs and booze, churning out rubbish, like many a band before them.

 

This latest album — much of which was recorded in churches in Spain and and Latin America — is full of religious references. It’s as heavy-going as the Bible but as ultimately as rewarding if that’s your bag.

 

The CD comes to life with a brilliant, glittering instrumental opener Life In Technicolour. It’s just a shame it doesn’t burst into a full track, lyrics and all, because it could have been the best on the album.

 

The atmospheric, haunting Cemeteries Of London follows next and is one of the songs clearly blessed by holy water.

 

Lost! is layered over the sort of tribal drum beat that, with all the talk of world music influences, some were expecting to be more dominant on the record.

 

A track called 42 — which again is littered with references of ghosts and heaven — has been rumoured to be the album’s conquering centrepiece.

 

But I think there are even better songs.

 

And as with many on this complex CD, it’s like two or more tracks in one.

So are — as the titles suggest — Lovers In Japan/Reign Of Love, Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant and Death And All His Friends/The Escapist.

 

Lovers In Japan/Reign Of Love is a classic. Parts are slightly U2-esque and you could almost imagine BONO singing it.

 

It’s a beautiful rolling number and I can picture Chris running through a field in the video.

 

I reckon the album’s first single, Violet Hill — the video for which features magnifying-glass-wielding Chris, inset below — is its lightest and most pop-friendly offering.

 

Coldplay released the track free online for a week on April 29 — during which time an amazing TWO MILLION people downloaded it.

 

I can imagine Chris pulling at his hair as the band perfected every single second of Viva La Vida.

 

They set out to make a musical equivalent of a work of art — and succeeded. They’ve come a long way since singing about the colour yellow.

 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1202492.ece

Thank you sooooo much~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a review, makes me more excited!!! Wohooooo, even better than 42, flippin heck Im excited. How long left,less than 3 weeks, Im soooo excited!!!!!!

If the album 'lands on a desk' at The Sun you can expect a leak fairly soon

I'm freakin' out....seriously I want that album sooooo bad

Wow, that sounds really promising!

ARGH! :dance: :dance::dance::dance::dance:

 

So excited!

 

Thanks so much ::D

What a review!

Great!

If the album 'lands on a desk' at The Sun you can expect a leak fairly soon

 

That's what I thought!!! I am going to start praying for that to happen A.S.A.P.

 

you're welcome guys!!!

 

cheers!!

ohhh that sounds GREAT!! thanks so much for posting!

 

hmm, maybe i'll have to eat my words when i said that VLVOD couldn't possibly be better than AROBTTH...:stunned:

That review made me even more excited, if that's possible.

 

LEAK SOON! Please!!!

If the album 'lands on a desk' at The Sun you can expect a leak fairly soon

 

LOL! True!

 

I think they were a little bit hyperbolic, but I guess that's how The Sun works.

 

Thanks!

ohhh that sounds GREAT!! thanks so much for posting!

 

hmm, maybe i'll have to eat my words when i said that VLVOD couldn't possibly be better than AROBTTH...:stunned:

 

Ill get the fork and knife out then!!:D

sweet! thanks!

I don't think The Sun want to leak the album...they have much respect for Coldplay and they realize it will be a great silly episode if happens...

 

No one will leak the album...trust in me!

I don't believe the album "landed" on any desk.

 

I'm sure The Sun had to go to a listening session like everyone else

Hmm... I don't really feel like that review said much of anything.

so what's the goddamn star-rating???

 

i'm hoping this'll be their most critically acclaimed album so far - i think Q are lined up for a 5-star review (esp. considering they gave X&Y 5 stars, and this is obviously better) and Rolling Stone seem really positive about it in their preview, so this should be a career-saver for them (i'm hoping) - people are gonna start comparing them to U2, though, thanks to Eno being on board, but i've got a good feeling about this one

(esp. considering they gave X&Y 5 stars, and this is obviously better)

 

Did they?! :stunned:

 

There is no way X&Y is a 5 star album. :thinking:

Did they?! :stunned:

 

There is no way X&Y is a 5 star album. :thinking:

 

Really then, this album should be a 7 star album.

Did they?! :stunned:

 

There is no way X&Y is a 5 star album. :thinking:

 

Maybe it was out of 10 stars, that would explain it.

Haha, exactly.

 

I'm actually surprised how many reviewers gave it 100%.

Proof:

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/coldplay/xandy

 

Having said that though, a lot of reviewers found it average or sub par.

AROBTTH represented much less of a divide in opinion:

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/coldplay/rushofbloodtothehead

i think even reviewers were caught up in it all upon first listen, just as we all were. i was absolutely in love with the album from june to about november, when "the shine wore off" and i realized that it wasn't nearly as good as their previous two efforts. i'm hoping VLVOD won't be the same way, for me or for the critics. so far, though...i think this one will be different in that sense :D.

Is the reviewer been sarcastic when he says 'an album by some band I had never heard of'....?

 

Just got this strange feelin' that this album won't top X&Y (I hope I'm wrong though).

 

In my opinion, X&Y is a tough album to beat!

Haha, exactly.

 

I'm actually surprised how many reviewers gave it 100%.

Proof:

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/coldplay/xandy

 

Having said that though, a lot of reviewers found it average or sub par.

AROBTTH represented much less of a divide in opinion:

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/coldplay/rushofbloodtothehead

 

Yeah, some more high profile reviewers gave X&Y a similar rating to AROBTTH. NME gave it an 8, whilst AROBTTH got a 9. Maybe they were playing it safe.

 

It's the smaller publications that tell it how it really is :P