Coldplay's back with their latest album in a couple of years. I've long been a Coldplay fan, and this album is particularly welcome. A Rush of Blood to the Head and Parachutes were fantastic albums, but X&Y was more of a letdown, and it took me some time to really get into it. Viva La Vida reverses the trend, and in my humble opinion, is one of the best Coldplay albums out there.
Viva La Vida is lively, full of energy and intensity, right from the first track of the album, Life in Technicolor. The rest of the album follows suit - Cemeteries of London, Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love, Yes, Viva La Vida, Violet Hill, Strawberry Swing, all full of life. This album really shows a transition with the group, and I like the shift in sound. The album is tighter, intense and interesting to listen to. There are songs here that are on par with Clocks and Speed of Sound, and I suspect that Viva La Vida will be the band's biggest album thus far.
One of the things that I really like here is that they group manages to pack a lot of material into the album. It's relatively short - 45 minutes or so. But several songs could almost become two songs, changing completely into different sounds halfway through, such as Yes and Lovers in Japan.
I'm hoping to see these guys in August, (although I'm a little worried that the date will conflict with something else) because I'm sure that their live shows this summer will be outstanding.
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
