There has been a lot of talk about this Coldplay album; probably too much talk. "They need to prove themselves." "They need to make their Joshua Tree." Third albums by bands who have done something interesting with their first two and gained popularity alongside it are put under too much pressure; way too much pressure. It has to be said that Coldplay haven't helped themselves with their chat about wanting to be the best band in the world and all that. The musical landscape that they suggest such things is very different than the world into which that wee Dublin loudmouth Bono Vox first suggested the same for his band.
All the hype apart, this is another great album from Coldplay. They are the kings of the piano ballad but have somehow made themselves into an anthemic stadium band with them. They have this ability to take seemingly simple killer tunes and give them the wings to soar in the big music. Talk even nicks an Edge echoing chiming guitar riff while ripping off a Kraftwerk riff.
Where Coldplay will need to develop to take on the U2s and the Radioheads will be in content. At the moment there is a lot of groping around and a searching of the future for meaning and most importantly for belonging. The opening "Square One" speaks about the first page and the concluding hidden "Til Kingdom Come" is about the end. In between we seek love. The beautiful and sure fire hit "Fix You" shows an awareness of humanity's brokenness and need for some redemptive work. "A Message" is steeped in Martin's Christian upbringing stealing the hymnal majesty and mystery of "My Song Is Love Unknown." The extra track "Til Kingdom Come" also revives the familiar words of his old Church going days and was supposedly written for Johnny Cash. Without much imagination you can hear Cash and Rick Rubin sorting this one out for the sadly never to be next American Recordings album. That in itself is a hint that Coldplay are still heading to the summit and have arrived in terrain close to the pinnacle that few bands get to.
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis September 2005Reviewed by John DurkeeColdplay has been called many things in their career. They've been named the next Radiohead. They've been praised as the next-big-thing. They've even been reduced to being stated simply as Brit Pop, but X&Y is a departure from these labels. It has more of a U2 influence than Radiohead, they ARE the big thing and it's far from boring and doesn't sound like a typical Brit Pop band. When I heard…The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Brian A. SmithAfter songs like "Yellow" and "Clocks" became ubiquitous, I kept waiting for the inevitable backlash that would result from the instant celebrity status that surrounded the band. It came quickly -- "Radiohead ripoffs," "pop pandering," "U2 wannabes", etc. Yet there was something that compelled music fans about Coldplay, whether earnestness, or the return of the piano to rock music, or the…The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Nick MattiskeExpectations for Coldplay's third album were high after the now classic masterpiece A Rush of Blood to the Head. But their "everyday guy" status (despite Chris Martin's Hollywood connections) has helped them remain confident in the musical space they mapped out on A Rush of Blood.... Unlike, say, Radiohead, whose mega-success saw them retreating into their art-school roots. Coldplay's confidence…Similar sounding releases
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