Ropeadope

If I had to grade a band's ability to help Apple sell iPods and music downloads for iTunes, then Coldplay would pass with flying colors. You don't really understand how effective that Viva la Vida iPod commercial is until it squirms its way into your home and takes a hold of your loved ones.

Case in point: as my grandfather and I sat down for our regular viewing of Scrubs, that damn commercial came on and my grandpa was immediately sucked into its web of dazzling colors and majestic instrumentation. He immediately began to ask me about this "Coldplay" and even asked if the song was free since I own a Macbook. It isn't that much of a stretch to think that someday Apple will pre-load Coldplay's entire library on all Macs sold. 

But I digress...as far as the band's new album Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends is concerned, the guys have finally got on the right track and it's great to be able to say that after the disappointing X&Y. I was more than intrigued with "Viva la Vida" and "Violet Hill" as they were departures from the "same"-y quality that plagues most of Coldplay's discography. I'm sure the enlistment of producer Brian Eno (U2, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode) helped with the process: these songs are filled with the most interesting intrumentation and arrangements that Coldplay has ever had to offer. "Yes!" mingles a slide guitar with Eastern style string arrangements, "Lost?" successfully intertwines a church organ with tribal percussion, giving a Peter Gabriel feel to the track. Even the aforementioned "Viva la Vida" will have you hitting "repeat" many times. It's got an honest pop sensibility to it but with no conventional hang-ups or tiring qualities.

However, one thing that hasn't changed is Chris Martin's lyrical skills that have yet to graduate from elementary school. Martin's got a great voice, but his lyrics never challenge me. It's the equivalent of grading an essay that only consists of an introductory paragraph: Martin sings about love and loneliness a whole lot but never delves into the topics.

Besides that and the fact that there are some moments on this album that will make you say, "Oh, hey there obvious Radiohead influence, what are you doing here?" this ain't a bad record. Not bad at all...a long way from revolutionary, but it is listenable and a step in the right direction for the band most likely to put you to sleep.