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MINI REVIEW: COLDPLAY "X&Y"

Artist: Coldplay
Album Title: X&Y
Genre: Rock/Pop
2005
Capitol Records

When did I buy it?: I bought X&Y in the middle of June 2005.

Why did I buy it?: I heard it online a couple days before buying it, and decided that it was so good that I needed to have it. I was grabbed by the catchy hooks and lulled into dreams by the lush piano melodies.

What are the best songs?: This album is packed full of great songs, both ballads and rockers. People seem to either love or hate this album, and I love it because the sounds are right up my alley.

"Square One" is a great anthemic burst that starts things off very well. "What If" is a tender piano-filled ballad with some very emotional falsetto vocals by Chris Martin on the chorus. "Fix You" is similar to "What If" but with a grander sound, catchier hook and very meaningful lyrics. The group performed it at Live 8 and it seems to be doing very well as their current single. It's the perfect song to dedicate to someone going through tough times.

"Speed Of Sound" was the first single and it sounds very similar to "Clocks" from the previous album. Even with those similarities, it stands on its own as a very strong track with a gorgeous melody that you can't get out of your head.

Two of the strongest tracks are the arena-anthems "White Shadows" and "Talk." The former has a very strong chorus and absolutely oozes radio appeal. That hook is one you'll be singing to yourself for hours after hearing it. "Talk," on the other hand, has a powerful guitar riff that is a sample from Kraftwerk's "Computer Love." Coldplay had to give Kraftwerk co-writing credits, but it's well worth it because "Talk" is another song that could easily tear up the radio charts. It's a very good example of the strong instrumental skills the band members show throughout the album, in particular Jonny Buckland's U2-like guitar.

Perhaps the best song of all is not even listed as an official track. "Til Kingdom Come" is an unlisted 13th song and was written by the band for Johnny Cash. Cash died before he could record it, so Coldplay recorded it themselves and put it on the album. It's a folky, acoustic song and one can easily see how it would fit Johnny Cash's talent. It's still a great song in it's Coldplay version and really should have been officially part of the album. I think even people who think they hate Coldplay would like this one.

Any bad stuff?: "X&Y" and "Twisted Logic" are good songs, but not memorable enough to stand out. They might be standouts on someone else's album, but they don't stand a chance against the awesome melodies of the stronger X&Y songs.

"Low" is similar in sound to "White Shadows" and "Talk" but suffers from that similarity. It just seems like more of the same, even though it's a good song.

X&Y has been criticized for keeping the same sound that made Coldplay famous and not breaking new ground. That isn't a problem for me (because I love their sound, and this is my first Coldplay album so I have nothing to compare it to) but it has been a problem for many others. As usual, this album is full of gentle melodies, falsetto vocals, tender piano work and an overall avalanche of sweetness. If this doesn't sound like your kind of music, you might want to stay away from X&Y and Coldplay in general.

Lastly, this album has also been criticized for having very simplistic and cliche-filled lyrics. I don't listen to lyrics too much, but I can see why people may think that. My own problem with the lyrics is that certain phrases are repeated over several songs. It makes one wish Chris could think of other things to say.

Overall thoughts: This is a gorgeous, well-crafted album. Every song on here is either beautiful, catchy or both at the same time. Coldplay is really becoming the next U2 and that's very apparent both in the music of this album and the reaction the band has found in America.

Coldplay, and Chris Martin in particular, have a good sense for what makes a song work (musically, if not lyrically). Somehow they manage to combine arena rock bombast with folky piano beauty. This is not an album to get angry to; instead, it's an album to enjoy while celebrating the beauty of life, the beauty of love, and the alienation that both life and love can sometimes bring.

It may be true that X&Y is not for everyone, but it's a shame that even the most hardcore music listener can't find something to like about it. Coldplay get a lot of verbal rocks thrown at them, but as long as they continue making albums like this I think they'll be successful.

Album score: 4.5 out of 5 4 out of 5 (after hearing "A Rush Of Blood To The Head")