Sure, it’s easy enough to make fun and criticize Coldplay to where it’s not even worth it, but, then again, it’s so much fun to do, who can possibly resist?!? The new record from the London band, so charmingly titled “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends” (seriously, can you think of a run of horrific album titles like that of Coldplay’s? “Parachutes,” “A Rush of Blood to the Head,” “X & Y”…), was created with the assistance of longtime studio gun-for-hire Brian Eno, a match that was probably inevitable given Coldplay’s attempt to be U2 but more “hip” and Radiohead but not as “creative,” simultaneously. You can gather “Viva la Vida” is not very good; although, it’s not as bad as “X & Y,” as few things could be. Chris Martin’s straining falsetto and lazy baritone alternate between the mournful major chords and their melancholic progressions. Those singles “Violet Hill” and “Viva la Vida,” experimental when it comes to Coldplay, don’t really survive in the mind much long after first listen. The rest is a dismal stew, but unlike its predecessor, it doesn’t make you want to go out and murder the first sensitive guy you see; it just makes you want to listen to “In Rainbows” again and be thankful there are some musicians out there who are actually trying. (Tom Lynch)
Cool Aid: A Review of Situation Chicago 2 The album does an outstanding job of bringing home the staggering sonic and stylistic range we deny ourselves when we return too often to the same genre well.
Full Adhesion: A Review of Cosmic Bull’s “27x2” Vickery’s songwriting is laced with imagery and wit, but it’s his voice that makes the strongest impression. He’s so fully a baritone that even his high notes reverberate in your tailbone.
