Coldplay’s 2000 debut, Parachutes, begins with “Don’t Panic,” a song that affirms, again and again, “we live in a beautiful world.” The song serves as a perfect introduction to an album that offers beautifully melodic, genuinely “happy” music.
A Rush Of Blood To the Head, the band’s follow-up, begins with the same global outlook as singer Chris Martin instructs us to “look at earth from outer space.” However, “Politik” serves up a bit more jaded view of the “beautiful world”: Martin commands the listener, again and again, to “open up your eyes” and look at the real world.
“Politik,” from the outset, embodies what is different about the new Coldplay album – the opening bars of the song, though not “loud” by rock standards, are head and decibels above any song on Parachutes. The lyrics, which have never been considered Coldplay’s strong suit, are a shade darker if not more complicated, a fact that is reflected in the musical accompaniment on many tracks.
The most important things about Coldplay, however, are still quite the same – they produce mellow, spacey melodies that people love or, at the very least, can’t hate. The songs are hypnotic and of that rare breed of music that allows the listener to drift off and think of other things without any real regret at missing portions of the song.
Coldplay also produces radio-friendly ballads, and after a levee-breaking drum intro to “In My Place,” Rush’s answer to “Yellow,” you can see that some things never change – it’s a great, pretty song that will be hummed hours after you play it.
The album’s intensity sinks and surges as its tone assumes various shades of light and shadow, providing the listener with a varied album without changing much about the style of the band’s music. The one constant, however, is the slightly eerie, very enchanting voice of Chris Martin.
The soaring nature of Rush’s songs is matched only by the transcendent beauty of Martin’s voice, which is again (and probably always will be) the centerpiece of Coldplay. This time around, much to the chagrin of Jeff Buckley fans, Martin favors his slightly rough lower register rather than his heart-piercing falsetto.
Despite a less acrobatic performance, Martin’s singing is no less impressive and important to the success of all the tracks on Rush. There are times on the album, like in “Warning Sign,” where Martin’s earnest conviction keeps sweet a potentially saccharine line, “the truth is … I miss you.” The truth is that Martin’s delivery successfully walks the fine line between warming hearts and rolling eyes.
“Daylight,” song number six, provides the album with its sonic centerpiece and its emotional climax as the real standout of the album. “Daylight” seamlessly combines the eerie crawl and the soaring jubilation that are the two halves of Coldplay, characterized by Parachutes’ “Spies” and “Shiver.”
Those who liked Parachutes will probably find that Rush, though perhaps not immediately satisfying, grows on the listener the more he listens. The stylistic changes are slight and make for easy acclimation, while the quality is pretty much the same.
A Rush Of Blood To The Head will make a fitting addition to your collection, right next to Radiohead, Travis, Remy Zero and the like.