Great new music from Coldplay, Weezer, Ashanti and Flobots
Who knows what their next single will be but I truly hope the gods of radio recognize "Lost," a song that intertwines grandiose church organs and Will Champion's brawny drumming, as the hit that I'm sure it's destined to be.
"Lovers in Japan" combines the classic Coldplay sound with some anthem qualities to create a rich and powerful song.
"Yes" may be the most experimental song on the album, as they delve into an exotic Indian sound where Martin shows off his capacious vocal range. Those of you who read ellecanada.com music reviews may know that I am a strong proponent of the 'hand clap' in music and I'm happy to report that Viva La Vida fulfills this obscure desire of mine. "Yes" isn't lyrically a song that's going to cheer you up, but just keep clapping along into the next track "Chinese Sleep Chant" (you won't see this one on the track listing because it's a secret song ... whoops, too bad I can't keep a secret). And make sure you don't turn it off after the final track either because there is a second 'secret song' after "Death and All his Friends."
Including both the hidden tracks, we're looking at about 46 minutes of audio excellence that makes it the shortest Coldplay album to date. Lead guitarist Jonny Buckland explains the reason for the brevity was because "We realized we hadn't really listened to any albums all the way through for quite a long time, the simple reason being that people put too many songs on them." I think this album makes a great argument for the saying "less is more" (which I never quite understood until now). Viva la Vida does leave you wanting more, but in my opinion that's what a good album should do, as opposed to leaving you wanting less and turning it off half way through. Believe me when I tell you that you're going to dig this from front to back.
Now on to album artwork, something that I feel we have begun to dismiss in an age where we no longer receive our music in a tactile form. Coldplay makes a bold statement in using Eugene Delacroix's famous painting Liberty Leading the People, commemorating the French Revolution. A bold statement for a bold album that represents a bold new direction for this British band and I say "long live the revolution!"
In my opinion Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends is Coldplay's greatest album to date. Pick it up on June 17th and let me know what you think at larissa@ellecanada.com.
Click here for more of June's music reviews.
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