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Rating: THE REVIEW
The critics couldn't appreciate this new Coldplay album, always awaited at the turning point after the excellent debut of "Parachutes" which shot to the top of the UK charts and convinced some authoritative analysts to speak of a new wave of classical pop. The threat of a rapid extinction has always accompanied Coldplay, ever since the frantic anticipation of their second album "A Rush Of Blood To The Head," which was released after numerous delays due to the group's notorious uncertainties.
The same script was followed for the third album released in early June this year. "X&Y" was a difficult birth, with many previously recorded songs being scrapped, victims of a general rethink by Chris Martin and his bandmates: Guy Berryman (bass), Johnny Buckland (guitar), Will Champion (drums). It took 18 months to craft an album that ended up disappointing those who hoped for the band's growth, those who appreciated the first record but had already started to wrinkle their noses with the release of the second. "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, perhaps of losing the top spot on the charts. The result could only be this: monotonous, vaguely polished album, lacking both the lamented freshness of "Parachutes" and the seductive rhythm of "A Rush Of Blood To The Head". The album seems to have come out of a gentle brainwashing, the line on the monitor is flat, and the peaks can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Despite all this, Coldplay manages to produce pleasant melodies, of excellent and refined melodic structure, supported by Chris Martin's evocative voice. There emerges a sense of being "settled," of being satisfied, which only we know conflicts with the band's restless spirit.
But at least next time the music critics won't wait for them at the turning point anymore.
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Summary by Bot
Coldplay's third album X&Y faced high expectations after their successful debuts. The band spent 18 months reworking material, resulting in a polished yet cautious album. While it features pleasant and well-crafted melodies, it lacks the freshness and risk-taking of earlier releases, leading to mixed critical reception. The album feels settled but uninspired, reflecting a band cautious about losing their chart dominance.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 Liamyes
Coldplay's ability to write excellent immediate and direct melodies, without ever being banal.
Chris Martin’s voice, simply gentle, makes even the simply nice or mediocre songs better.
