Coldplay: 2-for-2 in '08

Recently, the only band that has continually put out EPs worth listening to has been The Arctic Monkeys. However, with the release of just one fantastic EP, Prospekt’s March, Coldplay can immediately be considered on the same level as The Arctic Monkeys regarding extended plays.

With seven songs, Chris Martin and Co. have provided us with more than half an album’s worth of material – and extremely solid material at that. 

Unlike their recent, lavish, Phil Spector-esque album Viva La Vida (the best album of the year, by the way), Prospekt’s March is surprisingly stripped down. 

Other than “Life in Technicolor II,” which is essentially an addition to a Vida tune, songs like “Lost?,” “Now My Feet Won’t Touch The Ground” and “Prospekt’s March/Poppyfields” are light years above most tracks on Vida.

Surprisingly, the least-interesting song on the EP is one that on paper, looks the most intriguing. Jay-Z makes an appearance on “Lost+” (another reinterpretation of “Lost!”), but he enters the song so late that Hova’s respectable attempt just diminishes the song anyone who has listened to Viva La Vida knows frontward and backward.

But not to worry; their other interpretation of “Lost!” on the EP makes up for the lazily thrown together Jay-Z feature. Instead of an organ, multiple drums, and studio echoes over Martin’s vocals, it’s just him and his piano. The result is arguably their most mesmerizing song in years.

“Life in Technicolor II” will delight fans who wished lyrics were thrown over the immensely catchy opening hook from Vida. But surely the most exciting part of the album is “Glass of Water,” a tune that starts similarly to many songs in Coldplay’s catalog, but quickly turns into an absolute rocker, much like “Fix You” did on X & Y.

I feel it’s important to note that I was by no means a big Coldplay fan six months ago. I had considered them an OK band who occasionally hit the mark with a cool tune but overall were pretty boring. However, even for this lover of old-school ’50s and ’60s stripped-down rock ’n’ roll, there’s no denying Coldplay is on absolute fire. With this EP, they continue that trend.