COLDPLAY

'X&Y'

In many of the musical circles I find myself associated with, any artist pegged by the press to be the 'Biggest Band in the World' is considered hipster kryptonite. Writing anthems? Contrived. Filling stadiums? Pompous. Shipping Platinum? Sell-out. Actually accepting the fact you're a rock star? UNHEARD OF. Where they used to be billed as a either a kinder, gentler Radiohead or a moodier version of Travis...the band you'll hear Coldplay most associated with on the eve of their third release, 'X&Y'? The absolute antithesis of the oft-aloof indie-rock ethos: U2.

So, in a decidedly un-indie move, i'm going to go ahead and say i'm finding this album extremely enjoyable. I was thoroughly impressed w/ the sophomore release 'A Rush of Blood to the Head', but this effort is (at least initially) holding my attention even more. The album as a whole is vast-sounding, stadium-friendly, saurion-esque (heh)...plus, I like the guitar hook on 'Talk'...it reminds me of Big Country. Other standout tunes are the Floyd-esque lead off track 'Square One', 'White Shadows', (the first single) 'Speed of Sound' and the hidden track 'Kingdom Come'. Lyrically, one could challenge it's a little generic in subject matter...meaning, these songs could mean something to anyone. Frankly though, I think that's what they're gunning for...they want to connect w/ as many people as possible. Depending on how ironic your t-shirt, that could be either a good or bad thing.

While I can agree, from the global appeal, penchant for activism and arena-ready sonic-stylings, there is obvious parity between the band and their rock'n'roll forefathers in U2. They have a lot of ground to cover to truly go down on the books as being that important...however, 'X&Y' is a huge step in that direction. I'm obviously hooked, but you can go to MTV.com and (like me) listen to the album before it hits stores on June 7th HERE. 'Biggest band in the world'? Take off the trucker cap, put down the haterade and decide for yourself.