Coldplay
If Coldplay were ever edgy, they’ve lost their edge with X&Y.
When Coldplay exploded on to the British rock scene in 2000 with Parachutes, their sound was typically Britrock, but there was something notable about it – the tenuous beauty of Chris Martin’s voice, the piano melodies, the seamless blending of drums and guitar to the mix. The album was uniformly something of a sad-bastard favorite – the songs were about longing, love and that familiar terrain, and made that much more poignant because of Martin’s voice.
2002’s A Rush of Blood to the Head sounded a lot different than Parachutes – Martin’s voice was more mature, and he sounded more secure with his vocal abilities. Musically, the album expanded on the sparse instrumentation of Coldplay’s debut with the intricate “Clocks,” the power of “Politik,” and the grandness of “In My Place.” And songs like “Warning Sign” and “The Scientist” gave me chills with their lyrical simplicity and depth, and perfectly paced accompaniment. While the album as a whole is not faultless (hello, “God Put a Smile on Your Face”), it was a step in the right direction for Coldplay – by expanding their comfort zone of instrumentation and playing with more complex dramatics, they began to differentiate themselves from their pack of followers (Starsailor, Elbow, etc.).
Sadly, during the time that elapsed between 2002 and 2005, a lot of things happened that may or may not have directly influenced the unwavering blandness of X&Y. While I wish Martin and Ms. Paltrow nothing but felicity in their union, it is commonly known that once a state of marital happiness is achieved, songwriting quality is apt to suffer – no more heartbreak, no more benders…no more tortured (or in Coldplay’s case, mildly bitter) songs. Also, Martin decided that he did not want to write about his relationship, and began penning songs about science (at least he didn’t write songs called “Make Trade Fair”) that the other band members were not happy with. Thankfully, these songs did not make it onto the album.
And X&Y is a lovely album to listen to. It tries to break some new lyrical ground – on “Speed of Sound,” Martin extols the importance of staying grounded, and “Fix You” is a love song that (for once) is not about fixing someone to reciprocate devotion, rather, it is about fixing problems that have nothing to do with relationships. There are also some new musical tricks, particularly on “White Shadows,” a song that features a nicely driven beat and some cool, removed vocals from Martin. The guitar work on “Hardest Part” sounds eerily reminiscent of the melody from a music box; interestingly, this same melody is echoed in the piano refrain at the close of the song.
My problem with X&Y is that where Rush of Blood looked like the start of a promising future for the band, X&Y doesn’t build off of that new musical level, it just coasts on it. The album, regardless of the minor lyrical experimentation, doesn’t depart from what I have come to expect from Coldplay after Rush of Blood – “Speed of Sound” sounds like “Clocks II,” and “What If” plays like an uninspired “Warning Sign.”
Coldplay can do better – they’re not the next Super Furry Animals, and they’re certainly not deserving of any comparisons to Radiohead, but they’re also not the adult-alternative poster boys that they’ve become. I wish that X&Y took a few more chances and wasn’t so concerned with re-creating A Rush of Blood to the Head.
-- Jessica Netishen, 06/14/05
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