X&Y by Coldplay (CD, Jun-2005, Capitol/EMI Records)

This, the band's third album and first release since 2002's wildly successful "A Rush of Blood to the Head," is a well heeled and stylistically mature piece of work.

I knew this band would go places when I first heard, "Yellow" off their first smash record, "Parachutes" in 2000. 18 months in the making, this new album from the now critically acclaimed band is already well on its way to multi-platinum status. And, the band has reached the same pantheon rock status as U2, The Dave Mathhews Band and REM. And like U2, the band has been picked up by Apple to do a signature iPod advert. No doubt, the popularity and fame of the band have been fueled as much by lead singer Chris Martin's tabloid marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow and their new one year old daughter, Apple, as by their music. And the ensuing hype and anticipation definitely must have weighed heavily on the band. But I think Martin and the band deliver. With the group's melodies and Martin's lyrics sung in an often distressed and pained falsetto, the group draws you in with catchy, pop-infused hooks and driving rhythms and base.

Coldplay's music is definitely an aquired taste. My 8 year old son calls it "sleepy rock." Many critics call it "dream pop" and have belly ached that the new album is repetitious and a retread of their same old sound. I actually think Martin and crew have branched out into some new stylistic territory with some country and traditional rock strains in addition to their well-worn synth
pop sound. And, their signature sound and poetic lyrics continue to strike a very personal and emotional chord for me.

The album leads off with "Square One." The song begins with an ethereal tone and then blasts into a riveting anthem with the drumb and base track strongly underscoring Martin's lyrics. The album's first single, "Speed of Sound," is equally majestic and riveting. Take for instance the key refrain:

"All that noise and sound
When Birds go flying at the speed of sound
To show you how it all began
Birds came flying from the underground
If you could see it then you'd understand."

I'm not sure I understand it, but it's quite beautiful and imaginative.

The second single from the album, "Fix You," is equally melodic and mesmerizing. Given how much joy seems to be part of Martin's new family life, it's amazing that he was able to draw in the emotions for this ballad; the lyrics are all about loss and lonliness. "You can't sleep/Stuck in reverse/And the tears come streaming down your face/When you lose you something you can't replace/When you
love someone, but it goes to waste/Lights will guide you home/And ignite your bones/And I will try to fix you."

My other favorite tracks on the album are "Talk," "What if" and "Till Kingdome Come." "Talk" resembles so many songs from those late 70s and 80s glam synth bands like Kraftwerk. "What if" is a beautiful ballad sung by Martin who also accompanies with piano. It sounds very similar to the hit single from their second album, "The Scientist." Finally, "Till Kingdome Come" closes out the album as a bonus track. When I saw the band at San Francisco's Shoreline this past summer, Martin talked about how this was a tribute to the late, great Johnny Cash. The simplicity of this songs with it's raw lyrics and solo accoustic guitar are a stark contrast to the soaring ballads and synth pop of the rest of the album. It's very disarming and yet it sticks with you.

All in all, this is definitely an album worth having.