Posted on 06/16/2008
Imagine there’s no Coldplay. It’s easy if you try. Two years after promising that they’d disappear for ‘a very long time,’ they’ve returned with a revolutionary new direction. Or at least cover art depicting the French revolution, a title inspired by Frida Kahlo, Brian Eno on production and an album that’s essentially the same as the three that preceded it.

Officially Coldplay have closed the door on that trilogy, but its trademarks are still all over Viva La Vida – soaring guitar lines, ‘don’t worry, everything will be ok’ lyrics, quiet verse/loud chorus dynamics. They do try new tricks here and there, with some tablas and funky(ish) rhythms thrown in on “Lost”, while Tinariwen’s influence is all over the swirling, hypnotic grooves on “Strawberry Swing”. But for the most part the forays away from their template detract from Coldplay’s success rather than add to it.

X&Y might have been overblown, but it perfected Coldplay’s greatest strength; writing songs with sentiments that everybody can identify with. “Fix You” and “What If” and their predecessors “In My Place” and “The Scientist” might not be songs that changed the world, but you’d have a heart of stone not to be touched by them. Yet there’s nothing on Viva La Vida which touches those heights. As Coldplay have tried to widen their musical horizons, they’ve lost the emotional connection with their audience. They’ve taken a small step forwards, but a larger one back.

When simply having an instrumental track on an album is touted as a sign of innovation, you know you’re in trouble (even if it is a rather nice track with another nod to their proclaimed Kraftwerk infatuation) and collaborating with Brian Eno hasn’t pushed their sound forward as much as they’d have hoped for. “42” does completely eschew the simple song structure that Coldplay normally adopt in favour of three distinct parts, but they feel more like three ideas for whole songs that didn’t have the strength to develop their own identity.

That’s not to say that “42” or any other track is bad – I’m sure they’ll all get stadiums full of people around the world pumping their fists in delirium and singing all along to every ‘la la la lay’. Like the band themselves, Viva La Vidais thoroughly pleasant. Even the duff tracks are rescued by Chris Martin’s unerring ear for a tune. And when it’s good, it’s very good. “Viva La Vida” displays a lyrical charm and humility sadly absent from the rest of the album, while the laidback groove on “Strawberry String” is quite brilliant, and hints at what might have been if they’d decided to chance their arms a little further.

That’s the problem at the heart of Viva La Vida – it’s safe. There’s nothing too shocking or different here, as it’s not something that Coldplay or their label could afford. Whether you like it or not, Viva La Vida is the most important album released this year. Such is Coldplay’s importance to EMI that anything less than supernova sales could cause the present industry model to crumble (apologies for the slightly melodramatic prediction). Whether we should mourn its passing when it produces albums like this, is a different story. Chris Martin might talk defiantly about not caring if he loses a million listeners with Viva La Vida, but his bosses certainly will.

Fortunately it’s an album that will keep everybody that already has a stake in Coldplay either emotionally or financially happy, though I doubt whether it’s strong enough for them to pick up any new fans. If Coldplay can conquer death on “42” (“those that are dead aren’t dead, they just live in my head”) then a little critical apathy shouldn’t bother them at all.

- Will Georgi