Viva Coldplay

“I used to rule the world, seas would rise when I gave the word / Now in the morning I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to own,” sings lead singer Chris Martin in the title track “Viva La Vida.” With no possible trace of absolute doubt, the members of Coldplay have taken their reign of the music world to a whole new level.  

Past albums proved their uncanny ability to maintain audiences as well as sell records. What’s interesting is that even in the midst of the constant collapse of the music industry, Coldplay has been able to keep record sales at the multi-platinum level. There’s nothing more to prove as the band finds itself in a position most bands never reach: a comfortable niche in the music world.

You’ve heard the spacey keyboard in “Clocks” and the high falsetto in “Fix You.” So is there more to learn from the self-described “light heavy soft rock” group? With Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, it has been noted yet again that Coldplay can charm audiences once more with a mixed array of rock music.

The sound that Viva La Vida carries is purposefully not like the band’s past releases. There is no star-gazing pop-punk riff here. Tracks “Yes,” “Lost!” and “Violent Hill” overshadow the rest of the band’s work: past, present and possibly future. Even the most delicate ballads that are carefully crafted by Martin himself express words and feeling with a whole new meaning. “All winter we got carried,” Martin states, “Away over on the rooftops, let’s get married.” Also in “Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love,” the tone of his voice as he whispers, “How I wish I’d spoken up or we’d be carried in the reign of love” is captivating and throws your heart into another whirlwind as the mix of rock with soft ballads flow through.

Live the life and live it well. Viva La Vida ignores the constant fear of the bitter ending, the ultimate fate. Coldplay abandons all its old tricks to remind us of this. The vocals never stretch far into Martin’s signature falsetto, and it’s with purpose. It’s to better deliver the powerful drive and amazing momentum the album carries from start to finish.