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A Rush of Blood to the Head

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Coldplay's sound is a mixture of shimmering guitars, keyboards, and Chris Martin's incredible voice. His voice is probably the cause of the many Thom Yorke, Fran Healy and Jeff Buckley comparisons--like those three singers, he makes very effective use of his falsetto. His voice just crackles with real emotion. They have a great tendency to pair rhythm acoustic and lead electric guitars, which produces a very specificly textured and meshed sound.

All the tracks on the album are worth a listen. Highlights include the sublime "Shiver" (truly swoon-worthy), "Yellow" (simply romantic), "Trouble," and the last track, "Everything's Not Lost."

Highly recommended to fans of Travis's "The Man Who" and Radiohead's "The Bends." Coldplay shares a general musical aesthetic with those two bands, but they also have their own sound and musical project. Listen to the sound clips, and you'll see how Coldplay is both familiar and unique. You won't be wasting your money if you pick this album up.

Sometimes less is more   June 1, 2003
J. N. Mohlman (Barrington, RI USA)
113 out of 121 found this review helpful

In "Parachutes" Coldplay has produced an album that is both simple and elegant at the same time. The guitars are stripped down, and largely acoustic. When electric guitars are used, they act as a nice counterpoint to Chris Martin's superb vocals. At the same time there is heavy used of keyboards, and the drums and bass actually act as a rhythm section instead of acting as rock and roll heavy artillery. The lyrics are as straightforward as the music, without being any less sophisticated for it. Martin sings of timeless themes like love, alienation and hope, but never seems trite or derivative. The end result is an album by a band that clearly recognizes that passion and talent are what make a band, not gimmicks and grinding guitars and morose wailing.

On a song-by-song basis, it would be almost impossible for me to pick a favorite song, for two reasons. First, every one of them is good, which is almost shocking in today's music market. Nonetheless, there is not a single song that I skip past, and more than that, there's not a single song that is noticeably sub-par when compared to the others. Secondly, Coldplay has actually produced an "album" as opposed to a collection of songs, another rarity today. Each song carries through common musical and thematic elements such that each one becomes something akin to a movement within a symphony.

That said, the songs are by no means redundant, and as such warrant some mention as individual entities. First off is "Don't Panic", a plainly stated case for hope in a difficult world, the chorus "We live in a beautiful world..." pretty much sums up this track. With great drum and keyboard work, "Don't Panic" sets the tone for the album.

Next up is "Shiver" a refreshing song about devotion in the face of unrequited love. I say refreshing because in a world of throwaway relationships, Martin actually places some hope in blind love. This is one of the prettiest songs on an album that has a lot of them (I know "pretty" is an odd description of a rock song, but you'll just have to trust me), and the heavy use of electric guitars is effective and fits in with the rest of the album.

Third is "Spies", which if I had to choose is probably my favorite song on the album. As Martin sings about paranoia, the discomfiture we all feel in our own skin sometimes, the song takes on a spooky, befuddled vibe that is difficult to describe but fascinating to listen to.

"Sparks" is another beautiful, mellow song about devotion and love within a relationship. It serves as a nice counterpoint to the well known "Yellow" (which received heavy radio rotation), in that its contemplative thoughtful love serves as a counterpoint to the overpowering infatuation considered in "Yellow".

Next up is "Trouble" which sets the stage with a beautiful piano melody. It also contains some of the most interesting lyrics as Martin sings of regret, and the desire and effort to overcome the mistakes of the past. Part apology and part introspection, this is a great track.

The seventh track is the eponymous "Parachutes", which despite only being forty-six seconds long is one of the prettiest love songs you're likely to hear in rock and roll today. It is followed up by "High Speed", which contains the most unusual arrangements on the album. Again, the tone is set by the first lyric "Can anybody fly this thing..." and the song goes on to consider what it takes to live in our complicated world.

The final two tracks perfectly bookend the album. "We Never Change" is Martin expressing his desire to live a simple, decent life that focuses on what's really important rather than the trappings and complications of modern life. And finally, "Everything's Not Lost" is another pleafor hope in a difficult world that perfectly captures what Coldplay is all about.

In the end this is truly and exemplary album. From start to finish it maintains a consistent musical vision that is a joy to listen to. Each track is a puzzle piece that fits into something larger than the sum of those pieces, but at the same time, each piece can be appreciated individually. Ultimately, this is the rare album that transcends categorization and is approachable by anyone who appreciates great music.

Jake Mohlman


Best Debut Album of 2000   December 31, 2001
trojanpony (Shelton, CT USA)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

If there's one band to keep your eye on, it is Coldplay. Their 10-track debut has me craving for more. These guys are good! The sound of the album is incredible. It's like the music is soaring yet on the ground at the same time. Nevermind, that sounds stupid. Well, listen to the album. Hopefully you'll have an idea of what I mean.

Chris Martin's voice is unique. It's not Dave Matthews. It's not David Gray. It's not Thom Yorke. It reminds you of all 3 at different points but it's unique in it's own right. The lyrics are infectious. At times you'll swear the guitar riffs were stolen from Radiohead's "The Bends" or "OK Computer". Whether they were or not, they are very good.

"Yellow", being the big hit off the album, is an obvious standout. Other personal favorites are "Don't Panic", "Spies", and "Trouble". Starting with "Parachutes", the end of the album is notably slower and less "radio-friendly". Still excellent songs though. There is one glaring weak track: "Sparks". It sounds like the band got really bored one day and made that tenth track to fill out the album. Perhaps being sandwiched between the marvelous "Spies" and "Yellow" hurts it even more. In any case, with that one exception, the music on this CD is refreshingly well done and deserves to be bought by any music lover.

Also, I could've gone for a couple more tracks of this caliber. So, only 10 tracks + 1 disappointing track = 4 stars. There you have it. Superior work Coldplay!


Slow, Relaxing...Just plain AMAZINNNG!!!!   March 3, 2003
Josh Reynolds (Willerdale)
37 out of 42 found this review helpful

I first bought this cd last summer because my friends and i enjoyed listening to "Yellow" after a crazy night of partying...I never thought i'd be purchasing a cd that would soon become one of my all-time favs. From start to finish its a very complete cd with many strong attributes and high points especially for a debut album. THe sky is the limit for Coldplay...heres a track by track analysis

1.Don't Panic 5/5 - beautiful two and half minute long intro song
2.Shiver 5/5 - Awesome, slightly faster song w/ great lyrics one of my favs on the cd
3.Spies 3/5 - this song slows way down and shows the odder side of Coldplay
4.Sparks 4/5 - slow soothing song...excellent
5.Yellow 6/5 - the original breakout single and still the best on the cd...a true classic
6.Trouble 6/5 - The second single and jsut as good as Yellow plus it has one of my fav music videos ever
7.Parachutes 4/5 - short interlude..but still awesome...had the potential to be an amazing song but was cut short

8.High Speed 3/5 - decent song but u still couldnt come close to calling it filler
9.We Never Change 5/5 - another excellent song
10.Everything's Not Lost 5/5 - GREAT album closer

You may not agree but ive listened to Radiohead extensively and coldplay may be similar but they blow Radiohead away. "Parachutes" and "A Rush..." just did alot more for me then any of Radiohead's efforts.

Bottom line is...Go pick up this album


A Great Sound From One Of Britain's Best New Bands   October 19, 2000
J. Walker (Ann Arbor, MI)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

What a great album. I'm of the opinion that there are two trends which are up and coming in the next few years in music. First, is the fusion of electronic music and rock and roll that bands as various as the Lo Fidelity All Stars, Soul Coughing, David Gray and Radiohead have provided on their most recent albums. The other trend is neo-Brit Rock; bands like Travis and Coldplay are providing solid and fun rock songs with excellent lyrics and stylings. I purchased this album as an import after it was reccomended by (former) Soul Coughing's lead singer M. Doughty, and loved every second of it. From the romantic Yellow, to the upbeat Shiver, this band is set to provide many more entertaining albums. Jump on the bandwagon!