Coldplay
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

THE REVIEW

"Whether it's a good thing or not, we've certainly started using more colors. It's impossible to please everyone, and it took us a while to understand that. It's just the freedom to say 'It can't please everyone. We're in it right now, so let's just do it.'

And that it can't please everyone, the London band certainly realized it with the release of the previous album, "X&Y," capable of receiving both a resounding public success and a considerable amount of criticism from specialized critics and fans alike, annoyed by the partial abandonment of the intimate and indie atmospheres of the early albums in favor of a broader sound enhanced by The Edge-style guitars.

With "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends," the discourse started with previous studio works continues, but this time warm and energetic tones are added to the clarity and sentimental approach, making Coldplay sound like something new and vital. This is also due to the choice of Brian Eno for the production of the album, certainly not new to such operations (worth mentioning is the funk shift of "Remain in Light" by Talking Heads), supported by Markus Dravs and the young and talented Jon Hopkins, whose contribution is much less marginal than one might think after a first listen.

The Delacroix painting used as the cover of the well-curated packaging anticipates both the European aesthetic of the French Revolution chosen as a visual imprint for Viva la Vida (used wisely and consistently in every aspect of the work, from the booklet artwork to the "uniforms" of the four for public performances), and the "revolutionary" and experimental nature of the album. Certainly, this is not the Coldplay-made "Kid A," here experimentation is all in the service of the key element of Coldplay's poetics, the melody, and it manifests itself in different ways: a different approach to the structure of the songs, openness to soundscapes, the use of exotic instruments, and various references to key movements in British rock music.

The album courageously opens with the instrumental "Life in Technicolor," an electronic-acoustic mix crescendo that represents much more than a statement of intent for the band. It continues with "Cemeteries of London," a folk-toned song about a story of witches and ghosts, and "Lost!", with a tribal rhythm, organ, and handclaps for one of the highest moments of the album. The desire to abandon the song form manifests itself in "42," where the reflective vocals ("those who are dead / are not dead / they're just living in my head") are followed by an instrumental part that flows into a liberating chorus a la Arcade Fire, only to return to the subdued initial tones. Sunshine and melody take the lead again in the double track "Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love," carefree pop supported by a tight and overwhelming rhythm in the first, sweet fairytale-like composition in the second. Another turn comes with "Yes," a violin-based blues where Martin showcases his lower notes, and with "Chinese Sleep Chant," a shoegaze ride where the vocals blend with the dreamy charge of Johnny Buckland's guitars. Following are the epic title track "Viva la Vida," with violins played by the very Italian Davide Rossi, the energetic rock of "Violet Hill," and the relaxed and dreamy "Strawberry Swing," with strong oriental influences. The album concludes with the engaging and strongly instrumental "Death and All His Friends," capable of living up to the opening track, and with "The Escapist," which picks up the very first notes of the album for a gentle and subdued conclusion.

The result is an album full of ideas, of cues, of sounds that do not suffocate but rather enhance the emotional potential of the tracks. An album fresh, bright, dynamic, with a universal scope, that resides in that seldom-treaded territory between pop banalities and the acido-cacophonic extremes of experimentation, blending melody and sonic richness. An album not suitable for those who consider virtue an unforgivable flaw and sick aesthetics an indispensable element of artistic creation, for those who see optimism as a clear indicator of superficiality, for those who are too, too alternative to listen with interest to a band that airs on MTV.

But, Chris Martin understood, it's impossible to please everyone.