release date: Jun. 16, 2008
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
Track highlights: 3. "Lost!" (3,5 / 5) - 7. "Viva la vida" (3,5 / 5) - 10. "Death and All His Friends / The Escapist" (3 / 5)
4th studio album by Coldplay. At this point I had sort of lost interest in the band. Expectations to what they do and say are at hysterically high, and people worship the band like it was The Fab Four reincarnated, but what they're good at, besides performing live, is to make one or two fine sing-a-long 'pop' tracks that will sell the new album, and "Viva la vida" did that on this one. Once again, they have changed the sound slightly. There are more strings and horns here than on their previous albums. I think, the band and the album is highly overrated. Whenever I hear the band on the radio, an urge to switch channel always makes me decide if I should let them play or not, and that really can't be good. To my ears, this might as well be somebody else. The lead singer is Chris Martin but I have simply stopped paying attention.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, The Guardian, The Los Angeles Times 3 / 5 stars ]
