ASG! Reviews: Viva La Vida

Now that I’m on the plane back from Mexico (Holy CRAP was the ocean nice!), I think it’s fitting that I give my thoughts on Coldplay’s newest album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends.

The last Coldplay album, X/Y, was met with a resounding “meh”. It was too pop. Too mainstream. Singles like “Speed of Sound” and “Fix You” seemed tailor-made for big arenas and large venues, a far cry from the more intimate Coldplay standards like “The Scientist”. The once indie Coldplay had seemingly sold out on its own innovation.

But kudos to Coldplay. They tried something very risky with album number four. Viva La Vida is about as experimental an album as you’ll find from a major artist. They messed with the “Coldplay” sound, and the result is an almost schizophrenic (the two different titles should’ve been a tip off), but surprising success.

Coldplay’s latest offering is a music-lover’s treat. From the first track, the catchy instrumental “Life in Technicolor”, Coldplay seems to be flexing their muscles, experimenting with a repeating synth, sitar, and guitars as if to prove to their critics that they’re so much more than just piano and Chris Martin’s falsetto. Speaking of which, Martin’s falsetto is used pretty sparingly in Viva La Vida, and it really adds a lot of depth to hear him using the lower end of his register.

Throughout the album, Coldplay seems to bounce from style to style. A Spanish flair in “Cemeteries of London”, Middle Eastern strings in “Yes”, the orchestral “Viva La Vida” and a touch of harder rock in “Violet Hill”. Viva La Vida really has no style. It’s a grab-bag of different melodies and genres, all placed together with surprising accuracy that lets the album flow despite the otherwise erratic styles of each individual song.

Another trend is the bonus track, which is used heavily. Many of the songs end, only to have a completely opposite style start up on the same track. “Lovers in Japan” jumps from a bouncy piano rock to an intimate ballad in “Reign of Love” and “Yes” turns into “Chinese Sleep Chant”. Not all of these work well; the transition from “Yes” is particularly jarring and I find myself skipping the bonus track. But the final track, “Death and All his Friends”, uses its bonus track to perfection. “The Escapist” is an excellent coda that brings back the familiar melody from the first track with some haunting lyrics spiced in.

Of all the songs, “Viva La Vida” is probably the most quintessential “Coldplay” song on the album. The huge sound seems to suggest a whole orchestra behind the band. But unlike the mishaps in X/Y, “Viva La Vida” is precise. Each instrument is used with an uncanny accuracy. Even the church bells, which would sound corny and cheap by any other standard, are used just enough to make an impact, but not enough to become overbearing. Oh yeah, and it’s also Martin’s best work on the album.

“Violet Hill” was the biggest surprise for me. The piano in the beginning almost spelled out that this would be another Coldplay ballad. But after the first couple of lines a few fuzzy power chords and heavy guitars really give the song some balls. Even as Martin hits the falsetto, the song still rocks, and rocks hard. Only in the final chorus does it let up, with just Martin and a piano quietly finishing off the track.

All in all, Viva La Vida doesn’t redefine Coldplay, mainly because there’s too much going on to pinpoint what exactly their “sound” is. Too many artists have tried to “redefine” themselves to a new genre of style to reach new fans. Coldplay here seems to just offer up the album, not as an attempt to gain new success, but instead as a less mainstream exploration in music. Besides “Viva La Vida” there really isn’t a single that would work on its own. The album needs to be taken as a whole to fit. It’s not perfect and not everyone will like it, but with Viva La Vida or Death and All his Friends, Coldplay has returned to its indie roots, and I for one am glad to welcome them back.