Coldplay
Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends

THE REVIEW

I have always considered Coldplay as the only true successors to the Beatles. Or rather, to be more precise, the most talented direct descendants of the McCartney lineage of the glorious Fab Four. So, according to the far-from-exact science of artistic-musical genetics, this kinship has translated and manifested into:

? Innate sense of melody.

? An incurably optimistic attitude.

? A sober and generally home-loving lifestyle.

"Viva la vida or Death and all his friends" is not Coldplay's "Kid-A". The much-heralded experimentation did not find confirmation in the 10 songs (13, considering the ghost tracks) that make up the English band's fourth album; and perhaps this too is a legacy from their illustrious musical father Sir Paul.

But that's fine. In fact, it's great.

Coldplay do not abandon the melodic path that has always characterized them, but they allow themselves some sudden deviations, just enough to renew a formula that in the previous "X&Y" already smelled stale.

No revolution, as I was saying, except for the structure of the songs, which often reject the traditional song form and the chorus at all costs. "42" is the most successful example of this new trend, a tripartite track that starts quietly with a piano reminiscent of "Imagine" (even directly cited in a piano phrase), only to explode in a decidedly heavy instrumental second part (by their standards, of course) which in turn flows into an energetic pop'n'roll that screams Beatles at the top of its lungs, before concluding exactly as it began. A similar structure can be found in the concluding semi-title track "Death and all his friends", a piano lullaby that suddenly turns funky and ends in a triumph of effected guitars and epic choruses.

The key principle is the variety of styles: the album is lively and heterogeneous, also thanks to the contribution of the renowned producer Brian Eno. Martin & co. range from the most refined pop ("Lovers in Japan", "Viva la vida") to shoegaze ("Chinese Sleep Chant"), from the rock of the first single "Violet Hill", which is reminiscent of the Oasis, to diluted world music influences ("Strawberry Swing", Beatlesque in its lyrics, reminiscent of "Good Day Sunshine" from Revolver) and, why not, to blues bursts and the nervous Middle Eastern violins of "Yes!". Let's not forget "Cemeteries of London", a true ghost story that mixes folk and flamenco-like rhythm, and especially the brilliant "Lost!", an example of how a perfect saccharin ballad can be deconstructed and reassembled into an unusual track that combines almost tribal percussion with organ and piano.

The lyrics continue to be Coldplay's weak point, but it's undeniable the enormous step forward compared to the trite and sugary texts of the predecessor "X&Y". Even in this context, it's mandatory to renew the aforementioned comparison with McCartney, as fitting as ever: isn't it true that Sir Paul also had (and still has) a conflicted relationship with the lyrics of his songs? A relationship that worsened during his solo career when there was no Lennon to play the role of the conscience. Coldplay's lyrics are functional to their music, and modifying their style would also entail an inevitable metamorphosis of the musical part; and we don’t need more Radiohead, thanks.

Coldplay have changed, folks, but they do not betray their nature and continue to pursue their poetry with the usual, disarming honesty. And a touch more dynamism that will certainly be able to increase the ranks of their already large following of admirers.