Coldplay – Viva la Vida
August 7, 2008
Track Listing:
- Life in Technicolor
- Cemeteries of London
- Lost! **
- 42
- Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love **/**
- Yes **
- Viva la Vida **
- Violet Hill
- Strawberry Swing
- Death and All His Friends **
**Clear Favorites
There are a slew of hidden/extra tracks depending on what version of Viva la Vida you have (buying from iTunes seems to be the best bet… assuming you pre-ordered it). My version actually has an extra track which is an acoustic version of Lost! entitled “Lost?” which I find fantastic. Track five (Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love) is actually two tracks in one, and there are also two hidden tracks contained within “Yes” [Chinese Sleep Chant] and “Death and All His Friends” [The Escapist], making this a much fuller album than what one would initially presume.
The best term I can use for this album is ‘solid.’ From start to finish, It’s actually quite an impressive listen. The music carries a certain vibe throughout the entire album, which really unifies it into one extended experience. Their title track, “Viva la Vida” sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. Watching the video blew my mind as well.
The tracks tend to alternate between harder and softer, but they all seem to lead into one another with a musical polish that I’ve not heard from many albums. Obvious care was put into track ordering, blending, and final touches. The album still carries that soothing Coldplay feel that we’ve all come to know (if not actually love) making every track sound very “Coldplayish.”
Interesting usage of instruments can be found throughout the album, proving that they aren’t just a piano-driven alternative band.. at least not anymore. Viva la Vida shows a lot more in the ways of experimentation instrumentally, though not much changes vocally. I’m not going to say whether that’s a good thing or not, because it really depends on your perception. Personally I wish the vocals had been a bit more experimental so as to match the album, but I can’t complain about that.
What I can complain about (see what I did there?) is Violet Hill. This was the single debuted in my area (Toronto/London radio stations) and it was played to hell. As it turns out this is also my least favorite track on the entire album by a long shot. I can’t really place why I dislike it so much (read: overplaying) but if I had to take a stab at it, it would probably be the attempt at telling a story in a near-narrative format. I know they thought they were doing something cool, but the result just hurts my head. If I could pretend that wasn’t on the album It would make it that much better.
Considering my only real issue with the entire album is one track, I’d have to say that that give’s it a pretty solid score. It’s worth listening to, so long as you’re into the alternative scene, or you’re already a fan of Coldplay. If you’re as much a fan as I am/was it’s still worth listening to because I can assure you that you’ll have some new favorites to add your your song listing.
8.5/10
Categories: Music Reviews
Tagged under: 8.5/10, Coldplay, music, Music Reviews, Viva la Vida