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Rating: THE REVIEW
From the P of Parachutes...
to the P of Paradise.
The outer shell is always the same, what changes is not the container, but the content. X & Y is equidistant from the two "extreme" poles, although it definitely falls within the artistic period of the early Coldplay (2000-2005), a work that serves to close the circle (and it's not just my opinion...) of a time span not devoid of media attention and success.
Ultimately, they are still the same as those with the colorful globe on a black background, these are just their revised and corrected 2.0 release. Less essential, more grandiose and substantial. What they lose in simplicity, they gain in greater heterogeneity.
Parachutes had a couple of hit songs for sure, but over the long run, it was an overly homogeneous album built almost entirely on a single instrument.
Here, instead, we have a fuller sound where the band's classic framework is enriched with organs, strings, synths, and electricity much more present than in the past, adding that extra touch of variety that was previously missing.
If "Fix You" is perhaps the most overrated song in the entire career of Chris Martin and company (stadium-choir finale excluded), tracks like the opener "Square One" with that indescribable unsettling quality that opens into an enveloping chorus before electric guitars take control, finally being softened by a gentle acoustic outro, show us that the quality hasn't diminished.
"What If" is the classic piano ballad, while the third track "White Shadows" deserves special mention as it merited being released as a single, combining freshness and catchiness.
A triumph of violins dominates the slightly psychedelic atmosphere of the title track, while with "A Message" and its gentle tranquility, we are taken back five years, while "Low" raises the bar even higher.
Good album, perhaps missing something to elevate it even further, but "X&Y" remains an album for all occasions and seasons. Not complicated by any means, linearity and pop for once don't just mean banality.
Rating 7.5
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Summary by Bot
X & Y represents a maturing of Coldplay’s early sound, moving from simplicity to richer instrumentation and variety. The album balances familiar emotional themes with grander production. While 'Fix You' is seen as overrated, other tracks like 'Square One' and 'White Shadows' showcase compelling freshness. Overall, it’s a solid album that adds depth without sacrificing accessibility.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1996. The core members are Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion. They are known for melodic, arena-scaled pop-rock and for alternating mainstream anthems with occasional experimental departures.51 Reviews
Other reviews
By NickGhostDrake
This flood of graceful melodies... is the artistic representation of the inability to reinvent oneself.
Even when they try to experiment... the result is amazing: it sounds exactly like 'Clocks,' in a stadium version.
By Stephen Write
X & Y certainly can’t be called a masterpiece, but it is a very good album.
Fix You is perhaps the best track on the album, and the Ghost Track is a pleasant surprise.
By AR (Anonima Recensori)
Last Friday, when the first notes of "Square One" played, something inside me clicked...
By the end of the CD, there were twelve masterpieces!
By Totisque
"In this 'pop-rock-melancholic' domain, Coldplay are the best."
"The sweetness of 'Fix You' (the ending of the song is splendid)... can suffice and satisfy those expecting a regression from 'A Rush of Blood to the Head.'"
By Moretto1
"X&Y is a sequence of pleasant tracks, but they sound a bit like a tennis player with the 'short arm syndrome,' the fear of daring, fear of taking risks."
Despite all this, Coldplay manages to produce pleasant melodies, of excellent and refined melodic structure, supported by Chris Martin’s evocative voice.
