Unless you've been living under a rock for the last month or so, you're probably well aware that yes, Coldplay has released a new album, and yes, they have been on tour. One of my friends who is a die hard fan has been to three of their shows, even flying to NYC just to watch them perform.So recently, I finally got around to *cough* um... acquiring their new album.
I'm not a hard core coldplay fan, but yeah, I can rock out to them once in awhile, and yeah, I give them props for bringing the UK indie rock scene to the mainstream in the states. But in spite of my lukewarm feelings about the CP, I decided to give it ago, not wanting to be left out with all the other 20-30 something wannabe hipsters.
The album opens with a nice coldplay/postal service-esque instrumental. In other words, it borders somewhere between alternative rock and ambient, it feels ethereal yet grounded-- I'm not sure how else to put it. The guitar rifts are strong, the bass doesn't kick in for awhile, and the keyboard makes the song feel like you're floating. The rest of the album follows suite. In classic coldplay fashion, the album feels like the prototypical UK rock sound, starting with the Beatles' later works, Travis, Jeff Buckley and Echo and the Bunnymen.
The two obvious "pop" songs are the headline song-- "Viva La Vida," which opens similar to U2's "Beautiful Day" (and actually, come to think about it, has a similar beat to it as well), and the following song, "Violet Hill," which is also very poppy, with strong guitar rifts.
All in all, I like this album better than their previous albums because it is feels a little more full on the bass and more uplifting. I particularly like "Lovers in Japan" and "Death and all of his Friends."
Coldplay- Viva la Vida
Label: Capitol
Release Date: 06.18.2008
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