Softer, more melodic rock works for Coldplay
By MARY SPEARS
Scene Music Critic
Coldplay could very well be the unofficial soundtrack band for winter in South Bend.
Think about it. South Bend is notoriously grey during the winter. Coldplay's debut album Parachutes, in the grand tradition of thoughtful British music popularized by the brilliant Radiohead, is just mellow enough to perfectly compliment the grey days of winter in South Bend.
By now, critics have made many comparisons of Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin to both Thom Yorke of Radiohead and singer Jeff Buckley, who died after the release of his excellent debut album, Grace.
Cliched though they might seem, these comparisons are actually valid. Martin pulls off the soulful lead singer bit well, and shares Yorke's ability to infuse meaning into lyrics that somehow lose their impact on the written page (such as "So then I took my turn/ Oh what a thing to have done/ And it was all Yellow"). The soaring falsetto peaks on songs like "Shiver" have Buckley's influence written all over them.
The lyrics on Parachutes are extremely poetic — in an oddly touching sort of way — romantic without having to resort to "Ooh baby you're so fine/ I'm gonna make you mine" (unparalleled lyrical genius though that might be).
The single "Yellow" is unremittingly romantic, as are songs like "We Never Change," "I wanna live life/ And be good to you," and "Sparks," "My heart is yours/ It's you that I hold on to."
However, it is the music that really drives this album.
Hard rock fans may not necessarily appreciate the fact that "Yellow" is pretty much the most intense song on the album, but still, no one can deny that the men of Coldplay have an uncanny sense of melody, and the ability not only to make piano-driven ballads like "Trouble" sound legitimate, but also pull off a semi-rock sound, as found in "Yellow."
Parachutes only gets better with repeated listens. The great melodies accompanied by Martin's melancholy voice make this the perfect album for a rainy day (or a snowy day, as it may be).
It might not exactly be what die-hard Limp Bizkit fans are looking for, but it's a great album nonetheless.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, January 30, 2001
