Who the hell would have thought that Coldplay had it in them? Sure, the very tired sounding X & Y did have it's moments of grandeur- such as the towering, anthemic chorus of personal favorite "White Shadows" and the catchy, though hardly eye opening, "Talk." Yet it didn't prevent many of us from wondering if we would see the band release 5 more X & Y clones in the next 10 years. Would the band choose complacency and milk their powerful niche all the way to the bank or grow some balls and do something unexpected? I think we all realize that Coldplay is no Radiohead. There are just too many fragile, emo teenagers eager to burn their allowances on maudlin, easy to digest records. Besides even if they had the balls to give away potential millions and do a musical 180, Coldplay doesn't have the creative ability to create a Kid A. However the band's pre-release behavior shows that they have learned some things from their brainy British counterpart. Facing a dire crossroads in their careers, Coldplay did what Coldplay does best. They took a middle road. You would have to be stupid not too. Surprisingly, though, the result is quite successful. This record will undoubtedly sell 10 million records, just like the others did. However, don't be surprised if this record garners some of the highest critical acclaim of the Brits' career. Viva la Vida is a strong, reformed record.
Viva la Vida is crisp, dynamic, and fun, where X & Y felt tired, sappy, and generally unappealing. First single, "Violet Hill" was a terrible choice, as it is perhaps the weakest song on the album. However, Coldplay quickly righted the ship with euphoric, powerful second single, "Viva la Vida." The rest of the album shows profound Latin American influences, as promised, as well as some unexpectedly strong drumming and strings. The songs are resolute, meaningful, and unexpectedly immediate. Also, though they are nowhere near as melodramatic as most of X & Y, they elicit a much stronger emotional response. Coldplay finally get it in their heads that often times less is more. What we have here is a genuine candidate for Coldplay's strongest album yet. Time will tell whether its lasting appeal rivals that of the formidable A Rush of Blood to the Head. My guess is that it will be a strong second in Coldplay's discography. Coldplay has woken up folks, they have roused their army of bed-wetters who cried to the sound of X & Y and put them onto the streets, (tepidly) pleading for revolution!

TRC Minireview rating: 7.1

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