CORPORATE LINE: “The only way I can work out how to make an album is to just live it and breathe it every day until it’s finished,” says frontman Chris Martin. “For as long as it takes.”
For their third album X&Y, the British quartet took 18 months before they were ready for the last-minute creative sprint to the finish line. But when you’re passionate about your music, you do whatever it takes. “We pushed ourselves as hard as we could,” explains guitarist Jonny Buckland. “We needed to feel excited, and we weren’t willing to put out an album until it was right.”
X&Y is worth the wait. It’s a big album in every sense of the word, with huge songs that build to a massive, layered sound that breaks new ground for Coldplay. The lyrics deal with life and death, love and loss. They’re about being fascinated by the world and accepting that some things can never be fully understood. “In mathematics X and Y were always the answers, but in life no one knows,” Martin says. “To me, the album is about those unanswerable questions, and what you should do about not being able to explain all the unknown variables.”
THE GREAT:
“Square One” – Even though it can’t muster up the power of “Politik” it still entraps you with its simple splendor.
“Fix You” – The formula that has worked since day one for Coldplay is back as Martin delivers another ballad.
“Speed of Sound” – It took a few listens—but it grows on you.
“ ‘Til Kingdom Come” – A song Coldplay wrote for Johnny Cash—but was never recorded by the legend—is a nice departure from the usual high-pitched squealing.
THE AVERAGE:
“A Message” – Typical Coldplay—actually less than typical and overly average.
“What If” – A song for his wife? Perhaps, but Martin has begun to write so generically for all of us that you have to wonder if any song means anything. Even though the song tends to grow on you it never quite hits you like “Yellow” or “In My Place.”
“The Hardest Part” – Martin drones on with his usual lack of flair. Diagnosing what is missing here is easy; excitement. If he wants to be Bono then he better learn how to kick it up a notch.
THE BAD:
Nothing.
FRANKLY: Is Martin no longer introspective? He has gone from analyzing his own life and fears, hopes, and dreams in an attempt to diagnose everyone else.
Another problem is that Coldplay sounds a like, Coldplay. If they want to be big they need to sound more like anything but themselves. Their idols U2 and the Beatles all changed and yet Coldplay sounds the same. The problem with that is there are so many clones out there doing Coldplay as good—and occasionally better if you consider X & Y. Coldplay needs to up the ante before they lose their hand.
Honestly, listening to Coldplay use to be bliss. There was little bliss while listening to X&Y. Martin might be happy with life and his new family but its taking its toll on his usual painfully good music.
+ Rae Gun
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