Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
In one of the most anticipated releases of the year, Coldplay return with a very good cd entitled Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends. The cd starts off with a 2:30 second instrumental with a few whoa near the end that was no doubt lifted from The Police's Synchronicity. Track 2 "Cemeteries In London" plays it safe but starts to show off Brian Eno's brilliance. Track 3 "Lost" begins with a church organ and what sounds like hand claps or snare drum rim shots. Chris Martin's vocals blend beautifully with the organ and its not until after 2 minutes that the guitar appears to add another layer. Track 4 "43" is classic Coldplay with vocals, piano and lush accompaniment. Strings appear and the song begins to take a new direction. The strange march to war buildup and the lovely melody that finish off the song surprisingly work well together. Track 7 "Yes" is complicated as well, the orchestra beginning makes way into a twangy and folk song with subtle electronic undertones. The violins here are odd, first its a symphonic melody then it moves into a fiddle esque sound. If that wasn't wierd enough, with 3 minutes left the song starts a completely new track and direction. Mostly wall of sound with soft and high octave whispering vocals. Track 7 "Viva La Vida" uses the violins once again and establishes Coldplay as baby U2. The song is good, its perfect for an iPod commercial and is by far the most upbeat and radio friendly song on the cd. Track 8 "Violet Hill" would be the heaviest on the cd and yeah I said heavy and Coldplay in the same sentence. Its not death metal but the mood is dark and the music is tense at times. Track 10 "Death And All His Friends" features Chris barely singing, just mumbling some words over the piano, like a drunken Tom Waits. There is a crescendo that builds in the middle of the song but fades into a chillout electronic finish.
Coldplay have thrown down the gauntlet and want to drop the "best band to fall asleep to" title won last year. They have realized the last cd was boring and it was time to liven things up. Yes this cd is experimental, its not a Radiohead but it is a departure from their previous work. The wall of sound, experiments with orchestra, texture and electronics are well worth it and no doubt came from Brian Eno. I have listened to this cd a few times now and each time I actually like it more and more. I am not a huge Coldplay fan but will give them props for a great cd and another fine 2008 release.
Posted by mardenhill 6/17/2008 09:24:00 PM
Labels: Music
1 Comment:
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12:21 PM
Really? It's not boring? I have a friend who loveslovesloves them and I really couldn't care less. I'm conflicted on whether or not to bother with this one. Yeah, they have occasional brilliance, but after a while I feel like everything starts to sound the same. Best band to fall asleep to is a good moniker. I do like the song in the commercial, though...dilemma. Heh.
