It almost doesn't seem appropriate to be too excited about a new Coldplay album; "Parachutes," the band's 2000 release, created dual reputations for the band -- thoughtful and mellow to its fans, dull and monotonous to its foes. Enter "A Rush of Blood to the Head." Artistic achievements of "Parachutes" aside, a similarly mellow sophomore attempt would have been too much for any band, leading Coldplay drifting out onto the seas of easy listening oblivion. Fortunately for the band, "Rush" is a blast of fresh air announcing that Coldplay has not only landed with both feet on the ground, but has hit the ground running.
Perhaps the most substantial change the band made on this album is that, while "Parachutes" has the inherent capacity to lull the listener to sleep, "Rush" is a thoroughly attention-catching affair. It picks up where "Parachutes" left off but gives the music a shot of energy, some drive and even a bit of a message.
The opening song is paradigmatic of all three additions, aptly named "Politik." Picking up the celestial lyrics of "Yellow" (with "look at Earth through outer space / everyone has found a place"), the song moves on to a spatial chorus and driving two-chord background. It's unlike any of their prior work in many respects. Although the atmospheric sound and heavy use of guitars is nothing new, the song pushes forward with more pressure changes than a weather forecast.
"Politik," although stated in the album notes to be about the campaign for fairer trade, was written days following the events of Sept. 11, and the emotions of the time period -- the uncertainty, aggravation, the sheer mortality -- resonate through the track.
For all that "Politik" does to elevate the standard of the album's music, however, there are some "Parachutes"-era tracks remaining -- among them "In My Place," the first single. The placement immediately after "Politik" provides further contrast and highlights the inadequacy of the track in the scope of the album. "In My Place" stands out glaringly as The Single from the album, much like "Yellow" did from the past album, and interestingly enough, the pace and theme between the two songs are notably similar. Although the band is firm in their resolution to forbid commercial use of their music, the nod to commercialism seems clear.
The strongest tracks on the album are "Daylight," a mid-album piece that peaks in a soaring, sunshine-tinged chorus, and "A Whisper," yet another track with a steady loud/soft, high intensity/low intensity dichotomy. Both songs reflect an intensity absent from "Parachutes," but a confidence that only "Parachutes" could have provided. "A Whisper," in particular, is a far more sumptuous, textured and even emotive song than Coldplay has in the past attempted, but the flawless execution of the layers begs the question of why such a track was not attempted in the past. Finally, the title track offers a powerful song more in the spirit of past Coldplay work; but again, the key is the band's new assurance and poise, particularly in frontman Chris Martin.
Above all, "Rush" reaffirms, as "Parachutes" has already demonstrated, that rock music needn't be radical or bombastic to carry its message. Coldplay has the uncanny ability to make the simplest choruses -- such as the "open up your eyes" of "Politik" -- cause you to wax philosophical, and the ability to exploit simplicity is undoubtedly the defining point of the album. The message is clear -- for those that did not see the power and prowess of the soft-spoken band in the past, it is indeed time to open your eyes.
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