As I write this, I’m listening to the new Coldplay album and still can’t make up my mind as to whether it’s a masterpiece or a tad underwhelming (like Narrow Stairs, the latest Death Cab album). Coldplay’s success in many ways has been a curse of sorts; critics, elitist as they are tend to distance themselves from popular music. To top it off, Viva La Vida isn’t exactly the groundbreaking title that the band’s been touting it to be.
However, the album is still very very good. There are strains of Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Keane and U2; U2 (early 80s U2) being the most predominant influence. There’s less keyboard this time, some neat guitar riffs, awesome stadium choruses and even a bongo drum. Lyrically, it isn’t too different from the usual sappy ambiguous stuff but still far superior to X&Y (Fix You anyone?). A little more political, a little more pedestrian, still very affecting. My favorite tracks as of now are Lost!, Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant, Life in Technicolor and the overplayed Viva La Vida.
Thanks to Brian Eno, this is a shiny packaged-for-the-masses product but it’s still art nonetheless. This is an album that 20 years down the line will be as fondly remembered as The Joshua Tree is today. Or not.
Yest sir! Will download immediately. I see that you saw the new Futurama. Also, Usual Suspects. I saw The Happening. Will give it 6 on 10. Definitely better than Lady in the Water. Still, its a long way down from Unbreakable.
Watched The Incredible Hulk. And yes, they’re right, it is a lot of fun. A little too fast paced and zero character development; but Hulk sure smash! It’s completely different from Ang Lee’s version; it goes so far as to ignore the events of that film.
The new Futurama film was a tad disappointing though.