CD Review: Cold Play "X&Y"

Coolest band around releases hotly anticipated third disc.

There was a twinge of excitement across the Western Hemisphere this week at the release of one of the most anticipated albums of the decade: "X&Y" by Coldplay.

But for skeptics like myself, that eager sense of joy was coupled with a serious doubt: Can they really do it again?

The band's first album was 2000's melodic and emotionally disparate "Parachutes." Then 2002 brought an album that exceeded the aforementioned by gigantic leaps, filling in the spaces missed, and expanding on what was already presented.

Now the third studio album has arrived, and though it is not an improvement over "A Rush of Blood to the Head," it moves in new and delightful directions, without forgetting the things that make Coldplay great.

The first track, "Square One," begins with a soft synthesizer effect, and moves into a fun beat from the stellar rhythm section (Guy Berryman and Will Champion), ringing vocals from Chris Martin, and engaging guitar riffs from Johnny Buckland. So at the outset, all members are at their best.

Synthesizers are employed in several other songs, as well as a couple of well-placed orchestrations, and even a choral arrangement in the song "Fix You."

One can easily infer that the group is trying to move away from the U2 label that they often receive.

The familiar instrumental elements, meanwhile, are used sparingly -- catchy piano melodies, slow acoustic guitar intros. But they are there, nonetheless, and used to great effect.

The lyrics, however, are the album's weak point. There are some highlights, like "What If," a searching song that ponders the possibility of everything we rely upon vanishing. But for the most part, the lyrics are indistinct, like an afterthought, never quite getting at anything.

But with playful experimentation, and fabulous vocal performances throughout, the album is destined to join the Coldplay arsenal as an exception to the unwritten rule in today's rock music that creativity does not sell.

Though less prolific than their predecessors of the '60s, this British quartet has a Beatles-like consistency and is poised to take a significant place in music history.