Home > Washington D.C. Music > CD Review > Coldplay, 'Viva La Vida'

Backstory: For those of you just joining us from 1999, allow us to introduce you to Coldplay—one of the biggest bands in the world. Their sensitive pop singles are ubiquitous across generational lines, their first three albums sold tens of millions of copies, and the fate of a gigantic record label (Capitol/EMI) is said to pretty much rest in their hands. But what the band really wants, of course, is to be taken seriously as artists.

Why you should care: “Viva La Vida” is already out of the gates as one of the year’s top sellers, and figures to be one of the summer’s most unavoidable albums.

Verdict: “Viva La Vida” fights the good fight for Coldplay, gently nudging them into new territory without taking any turns sharp enough to jolt the bandwagon. They’ve mostly shirked the maudlin piano ballads in favor of a style more complicated, more crowded and more cinematic (the opening track is even called “Life in Technicolor”). Famed producer Brian Eno (U2/Talking Heads) joins them here on their slightly quixotic quest to become something more than the sum of their parts. The pairing proves fruitful; amidst the typically pretty melodies, readymade arena fist-pumpers and U2-coveting flourishes, there are some surprise jolts of ambience and adrenaline like “Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love” and “Chinese Sleep Chant.” Chris Martin remains a low-grade lyricist, but he knows how to milk emotion from a corny line. A quantum leap seems beyond Coldplay’s grasp, but “Viva La Vida” bears the mark of steady, stubborn improvement—not something that should be taken lightly from a band at their level of stratospheric success.

X-Factor: Death is a recurring theme on “Viva La Vida”—but don’t try telling that to Martin. The temperamental frontman stalked out of a BBC interview this month when asked about the gloomy inspirations behind his lyrics.

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