“…at what point does the chameleon reveal a fundamental self? Nearly everything we could possibly say about Coldplay at this point stems from obvious comparisons.” —Dean Essner

If Coldplay does, in fact, rule the world like the iconic lyric in “Viva La Vida” states, then its empire is built on derivative rungs.

It’s true that all music is emulative, in some way, of a bygone sonic era, but Coldplay is a true chameleon band that likely wouldn’t exist if not for its better predecessors and counterparts. First there was Radiohead, then U2, and now, in a concerted effort to modernize, Bon Iver and The xx. Blending in has become more than just a deft art.

When the foursome’s debut record Parachutes dropped in 2000, its formula was calculated but stark: piano-driven melodies, occasional guitar crunch and a crooning, swooning, falsetto-loving vocalist at the front. But it was Radiohead with boy band charm at its core. It was as if Chris Martin and his bandmates were so obsessed with the song “Karma Police” that they took it upon themselves to fashion a trademark sound out of it. And it worked for two relatively strong records, including A Rush of Blood to the Head, the more polished follow-up to Parachutes.

With X&Y, the band’s third record, Coldplay changed its colors again and shifted to anthemic, stadium-ready pop rock a la U2. It was a clumsy transition at first, marred by Martin’s decision to employ every cliche in the lyrical handbook. But fourth album Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends managed to work once the group stopped trying to crib from U2 — and actually became U2; super-producer Brian Eno, who worked on many of the best U2 records, including Achtung Baby, The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree, was enlisted to mold Coldplay into the band it was so desperately trying to turn into.

Commercially, it worked. Viva La Vida is also, arguably, the band’s best collection of songs. But in sliding further into its new musical platform, Coldplay also managed to distance itself from any essential identity, a problem that still pervades it.

Last week, the band premiered two songs (“Magic” and “Midnight”, announced its sixth studio album and, once again, debuted a different sound: hushed electro-pop that combines the breathy, otherworldly vocals of Bon Iver with the simple rhythmics of an artist like The xx. By all standards, it’s miles away from Radiohead and U2. This suggests evolution, which is important.

But at what point does the chameleon reveal a fundamental self? Nearly everything we could possibly say about Coldplay at this point stems from obvious comparisons. Yes, Coldplay’s Parachutes is a great record, but Radiohead’s OK Computer is much better.

Maybe we should just be listening to that.