Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Coldplay has turned in another solid effort with its 4th studio album, the indecisively-titled "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," but they expand their boundaries this time. Gone is the predictability of tightly-wound, highly catchy 4 minute arena pop/rock anthems marching in succession, not to mention the sensitive male singer/songwriter clichés and often dial-by-numbers production values. The British quartet has traded that solid but stagnant formula for artsy experimentation, and the results are commendable, even if their enlisting legendary studio wizard Brian Eno to bolster the LP's ethereal, left-field sound is in and of itself predictable. These songs do not lend themselves to radio playlists in the vein of "Clocks" or "Talk," but the album is their most intriguing and memorable. The results are a little less Phil Collins, a little more Peter Gabriel. The highly digitized, nearly instrumental "Life In Technicolor" opens the album on a high note with sweeping Middle-Eastern instrumentation and loopy, buoyant beats. Immediately ascertainable is that this is not an album that can safely grace the intercom of the local ShopRite. With hand claps and frothy production values behind a droning, funereal organ, "Lost!" is a poignant, yearning ode to finding salvation and a new lease on life. Accented by just the right amount of electric guitar, the intriguing, atypical track not only rocks and invigorates but finds these talented musicians trying for something new and succeeding, underscoring the album's unexpectedly adventurous direction. With its soul-searching sentiments and sizzling melody, chugging lead single "Viva La Vida" is the only track that oozes mainstream appeal with its sweeping, gorgeously evocative melody that has landed it at #1 on the Billboard pop charts. In that light, it is classic Coldplay and, amazingly, their first Top 5 hit. Even alternate lead single "Violet Hill," a Top 40 hit, defies radio programmers with its mercurial tempo and deep, adventurous lyrics. Singer Chris Martin, however, has never sounded more confident in his delivery, and the band's playing skills have never been demonstrated so impressively in-studio. These four guys sound truly in-sync, and rather than burying their sound Eno smartly accentuates it, bringing out the essence of the songs. The plaintive "42" is another awesome outing. After 90 seconds of mellow piano and dark lyrics the song zooms into a succession of production swirls, fast melody swings and snazzy electric guitars. It is not only a marvel, but worth many listens. "Lovers In Japan" is also a winner with its sunny, bristly melody - the way Martin wraps his vocals around the proceedings is a pleasure to hear. The thunderous ode to peace that is "Death and All His Friends" is also a highlight as it closes the album before revealing a hidden track titled "The Escapist," a mellow finale set to the tune of "Life In Technicolor." The men of Coldplay will likely lose fans who prize clear-cut ear candy over adventurousness, yet will surely gain respect from those who had previously written them off as creators of slick but predictable radio-savvy pop/rock. What's for sure, however, is that this is their most interesting outing to date. The painting on the album covers is "Liberty Leading the People (La Liberté guidant le peuple)" by French artist Eugène Delacroix depicting the July Revolution of 1830.