In the world of rock, morose British guys are pretty much their own faction. The Smiths (and even more so, Morrissey on his own), The Cure, Oasis – their collective tears could probably fill the English Channel.
But Coldplay, led by charismatic frontman Chris Martin, were to be the children of the new generation, bringing British rock into a brave new world. Sure, the band may have stolen a thing (or a few) from U2, Echo & The Bunnymen and various other predecessors, but on Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head, Martin and Co. showed off soaring instrumentation, piano flourishes and an overwhelmingly depressing lyrical cannon. To listen to Coldplay was to expect sadness – and fans, who bought millions of copies of the band’s albums, lapped it up.
But with Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, Coldplay is showing you its angry side. And, man, it’s a good one.
When Coldplay tried to get happy on X&Y, fans may have bought it (literally – the album was the best-selling worldwide in 2005), but something was amiss. Listening to Martin sing optimistically and joyously about his pleasant, perfect marriage to actress Gwyneth Paltrow was like a personal affront to anyone who had reveled in the fatalistic beauty of “The Scientist,” “Trouble” and “Yellow.” Where was the gloom? Where was the doom?
Plus, the slap-in-your-face similarity of “Speed of Sound” to “Clocks” didn’t help, either.
Forget all that, though; fast-forward to the present; and bask in the righteous pissed-off-ness that is Viva la Vida. With an album title swiped from a painting by renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo; cover art from the painting “Liberty Leading the People” by French painter Eugène Delacroix; and a little help from the legendary Brian Eno (former member of Roxy Music; collaborator to David Bowie; producer for U2, Talking Heads), Martin and his comrades have channeled all of their discontent into 10 solid tracks (13 actual songs). Though some falter, most of them are an enjoyable evolution of sound, mixing Coldplay’s original simple style with an increasingly complex instrumentation and more visual, metaphorical lyrics – and they aren’t just about love this time.
The album starts with the instrumental “Life in Technicolor,” a 2-minute-and-30-second escapade built upon a trilling riff (played on a Persian santur, a traditional instrument similar to a hammer dulcimer) and some spacey keyboards. Though brief, the song’s straightforward-yet-experimenting style sets the tone for the rest of the album: a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
“Cemeteries of London” keeps the album going in the right direction, mixing religious and fantastical metaphors to namedrop ghosts, witches and God, all of whom take refuge within the city. “God is in the houses. And God is in my head/ And all the cemeteries in London,” Martin sings. “I see God come in my garden/ But I don’t know what he said/ For my heart, it wasn’t open.”
The album continues with “Lost!,” which, with a drum-heavy (and synchronized clapping!) backbeat, sounds like something from Phil Collins’ archives. Against this determined-sounding instrumentation, Martin begins to show his irritation (although you probably couldn’t tell, given his silky-smooth delivery): “I just got lost/ Every river that I’ve tried to cross/ Every door I ever tried was locked/ And I’m just waiting till the shine wears off.” Who knew being successful could be so hard?
The album’s crown jewels, though, are “42” and single “Viva La Vida.” ,Each song demonstrates something significant about the band, its new sound and what it does best.
With “42,” Coldplay gives a perfect example of the style at which the band excels. The piano-driven ballad, which clocks in at just under 4 minutes, harkens back to the days of A Rush of Blood to the Head, with Martin’s questioning lyrics and disturbing honesty. “Those who are dead, are not dead/ They’re just living in my head,” he sings in haunting clarity. Though the song switches gears in the middle, adding guitars, drums and the whole shebang, “42” is nevertheless flawless in its balance and simplicity.
And with single “Viva La Vida,” the band shows how its new direction is still in line with its past. Against a wall of sound-esque instrumentation, “Viva La Vida” plays on Martin’s insecurities. “One minute I held the key/ Next the walls were closed on me/ And I discovered that my castles stand/ Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand,” Martin sings, creating a world in which he, a king, must deal with revolutions who “wait for my head on a silver plate.” With revamped style, “Viva La Vida” is this album’s “Clocks,” a happy-sounding song under which lurks a tale of loss and upheaval – and it’s fantastic.
But there are criticisms to be had. First, Coldplay’s influences are showing – on some tracks, such as “Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant” and “Death And All His Friends,” it’s as if Martin decided to step into Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler’s shoes for a day, walk around and jack some of his sound. And other tracks are just forgettable – for example, “Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love” may be nearly seven minutes long, but its dreary, meandering quality makes it easy to overlook.
Overall, however, Viva La Vida is well worth the three-year wait. Despite some misses, the album is largely a successful balance of what the band is known for and what it’s growing to become. And Martin’s whisper of “Come on now, just be patient/ And don’t worry” could be like an assuaging lullaby to the band’s fans – with Viva La Vida, everything is fine again. Just not literally.
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Rating: 4 stars out of 5
