Music : Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

Rating: - Very dissapointing...
I loved Cold Play's two first albums, I feel like I could get absorbed in them and never skip a track.

I have listened to this new album about 10 times and I just don't feel the same way about this album. When listening to this album I honestly say I enjoy about 3 of the songs, the rest well I really don't.

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Rating: - Yes, it's fashionable to slag them off...
... but that shouldn't be a deterrent. Let's be honest, they're good at what they do. No doubts about that. Talented - absolutely. They have carved a niche, actually more of a corner, in the market for plaintive songwriting and it's a time-tested and A&R trusted fact that this stuff sells by the truckload.

Frankly, if you've bought a Coldplay album before and liked it, you're probably going to like this one. If you already hate Coldplay, you're going to hate it. The fact is it's not going to make many new fans or new enemies - the band appear to have become the "through the looking glass" skewed mirror image of Radiohead. Whether that's a good thing or not depends on where your head's at.

Bringing in Eno is an interesting one - the guy's flirted with genius at the helm before (Remain in Light etc), but it doesn't work here. Doesn't exactly aid the U2 references either.

3 out of 5 as it's perfectly fine if you like this sort of stuff, but it ain't gonna convert ya if you don't.

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Rating: - Good but not great
I quite like Coldplay and I enjoyed this album. But it's quite obvious that the band did not try that hard with Viva la Vida. Chris Martin once described creating the album as 'just jamming' and that is an accurate description. Most songs are catchy but lack substance and often you expect the song to build but nothing happens then it ends.

I think Coldplay are getting lazy and it's going to cost them fans.

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Rating: - mature album-their best yet
There's something about this album that is hard to define. In any event, the overall effect is quite astonishing. It does take a few plays to appreciate the artistry involved here but I'd recommend persevering if the CD doesn't grab you instantly.
What I like about this album is the combination of good melodies, lush production and surprising changes of mood and pace.
In the past I've tended to group Coldplay with other artists who have produced occasional tracks that I've enjoyed (but without me becoming a big fan). This CD has changed that perception - album of 2008 so far I reckon!

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Rating: - Coldpay get better and better!
I thought X&Y would take some beating but I have to say, after listening to this album for months now, I still love it.

I thought Coldplay's first album Parachutes was dull, second a lot better and then X&Y was great. If like me, you don't rate their first album, then you will probably like this.