Rating Summary
“People will be listening to this album generations from now”
- a fan of good music, loving my music, always with my iPod, twenty something
- Pros
- Masterful, Thought-provoking lyrics, breathtaking melodic surprises, interesting international influences
Coldplay Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends —
If you only hear one new album this year, make it Coldplay's Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. I've been a fan of Coldplay's music in the past, but Chris Martin and the band have achieved completely new levels of excellence on Viva La Vida. Each song has amazing complexity and depth and the band has gone past being just "great," to having the potential to become legendary. Each band member has improved upon their already impressive skills. Lead guitarist Jonny Buckland is more aggressive than ever and it seems that Chris Martin has discovered that singing in a lower register definitely brings a seductive sultriness that wasn't there before.
I first heard the title song, "Viva La Vida," on an iTunes commercial and was immediately hooked. I bought the song and listened to it over, and over, and over again. Usually when I do this, I eventually get sick of the song, but I still get a rush every time I hear it. Melodically, the song is breathtaking and is sure to spark the interest of anyone who happens to overhear it. But it's the lyrics that really captivate. Many of the lyrics on this album are a little bit abstract, but it's really interesting to try to decipher the meaning behind them. Throughout the album, allusions are made to death, ghosts and God, but Chris Martin mostly alludes to his own insecurities. On "Viva La Vida," Chris Martin embodies a king who has lost his power. "I used to rule the world/Seas would rise when I gave the word/Now in the morning I sleep alone/Sweep the streets I used to own."
The rest of the album is just as amazing. Coldplay, who has toured the world and become involved in several international outreach programs, incorporates a lot of international influences. The album opens not with a guitar, but with a Persian santur. "Strawberry Swing" is definitely reminiscent of classic Japanese music. "Yes," an alluring song about seduction, switches from violins ala "Strawberry Fields" to a more Middle East theme.
The album echoes U2 and the Beatles, not only because the music is masterful, but also because there are several political message throughout Viva La Vida. "Violet Hill," the first single from the album, is a dark ballad that definitely has an antiwar sentiment. Coldplay definitely experimented with their sound a little bit for this album and achieved a kind of edginess that isn't apparent on their previous albums. Something that hasn't changed on any of the albums is Coldplay's ability to connect with the masses. Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends will most assuredly take you on a journey you will remember for the rest of your life.
