Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends – review

Artist: Coldplay

Title: Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

Label: Coldplay

Rating: 8/10

Corporate line:
In their relatively brief career, Coldplay have made that leap from being “a great British band” to worldwide success. Their music–graceful, intricate rock songs laden with piano and Chris Martin’s soulful falsetto–maintains an air of direct personal contact no matter how large their audience grows.

The release of “Viva La Vida” comes draped in a few facts–Brian Eno is indeed the producer of the album, that’s a Delacroix painting on the cover, and the first single “Violent Hill” is way more crunch and less falsetto than we’ve come to expect from the boys. As Chris Martin himself says about the album, “We’re still obsessed with making songs that can be sung to the rafters, we just wanted to present them differently.”

Brilliant:
“Viva La Vida” – The lyrics are absolutely beautiful and completely unexpected. It’s one of those songs that is on another level completely. Martin paints such an amazing picture that you can close your eyes and imagine every scene as if its a script to a movie. Just when you start to question the band a song like this comes along and you can’t help but forgive them.
“Violet Hill” – The video “Dancing Presidents” is brillant but its only so because of the song attached to it. And I love the lyrics: “When the future’s archetected by a carnival of idiots on show/ better lie low” and “Priests clutch onto bibles/ hollowed out to fit their rifles/ And the cross was held aloft.” Another set of lyrics painted just write.

The good stuff:
“Cemeteries of London” – It takes a few listens to figure out whether it sticks–and it does. The mysterious lyrics and simple, but memorable chorus isn’t easy to shake.
“Lost!” – “And I’m just waiting till the shine wears off” is probably how most Coldplay and non-Coldplay fans feel about the band. They can’t believe they keep making great albums. No one expected them to take Radiohead’s crown. It’s as simple a song any band could write and yet Martin is able to make it poetic and beautiful. It does seem Martin goes off a bit into U2 land towards the end.
“42” – Martin creates another great melody.

The rest:
“Life In Technicolor” – On an album that has only 10 songs its wasteful to use one of those positions for an instrumental piece.
“Yes” – Chris Martin singing at the bottom of his voice just doesn’t sound right. Even Fiona Apple songs better at a lower octave.
“Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love” – A pretty song that is full of mostly elementary lyrics for the “Lovers” portion. The “Reign” portion will force you to strain to hear the words.

Finally:
“Viva La Vida” is an album that arrives with a ton of anticipation. It has many great highs and lows. A lot is expected from Coldplay and especially Martin. Martin really tries hard to change it up this time. You have to wonder why he would stray so often from his signature falsetto–especially when the best songs incorporate it. What is really unexceptable are the few moments where Martin’s vocals are drowned out by the instruments as in “Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love.” That said. The end of the album saves what might have been an average release and made it great. “Viva La Vida” and “Violet Hill” hold up against any great Coldplay song. Viva La Coldplay.

Watch the “Violet Hill” video called “Dancing Presidents”

Watch a live performance of “Viva La Vida”