Red is White: Faithful & Stylish

I have no qualms about the fact that I’ve loved every Coldplay album to date. All right, so X&Y was just ok. But the great thing about Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends is that it breaks out. It’s not the same old Coldplay, and the direction they take on this album breathes (ironically) new life into the band.

From a music nerd’s standpoint, Coldplay could not have chosen a better producer for this album than Brian Eno. Who is he? you may ask. Well, he’s produced just about every single album by this little Irish band you may have heard of called U2. Eno’s brilliance in turn allows Coldplay to maintain their essence, while exploring sounds reminiscent of Pink Floyd, Radiohead, The Beatles, and even Genesis (listen to “Violet Hill” for that one). Musically, the album has a great feel to it- no lulls or drags, and it all flows together like a really good story, with a beginning, a middle and an end that ties the whole thing together.

Along with the exploration of melody comes an expansion of the lyrical content on this album. Though some songs are surely biographical in nature and others are possibly character-driven, it is clear that the themes of Death and of God were on Chris Martin’s mind here. Supposedly, parts of the album were written and recorded in various churches around Europe, which I’m sure lent inspiration to such lines as:

-“Reign of love/By the church, we’re waiting/Reign of love/My knees go praying” (from “Reign of Love”)

-“You thought you might be a ghost/You didn’t get to heaven but you made it close” (from “42”)

-“I see God come in my garden/But I don’t know what He said/For my heart it wasn’t open” (from “Cemeteries of London”)

-“We were dying of frustration/Saying ‘Lord lead us not into temptation’” (from “Yes”)

-“God, only God knows I’m trying my best/But I’m so tired of this loneliness” (from “Yes”)

And of course, from the title track/radio single “Viva La Vida,” the entire chorus reads like a prayer from “the ruler” in the song whose “castles of sand” are crumbling:

-“I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing/Roman Cavalry choirs are singing/Be my mirror my sword my shield/My missionaries in a foreign field/For some reason I can’t explain/I know Saint Peter will call my name…”

More contemplative? Perhaps. Different? Yes and No. As good a Coldplay album as any prior? Yes, if not better!

In the opinion of this music fan, Viva La Vida is definitely worth checking out.