Coldplay | Viva La Vida

Unless you live in a cave, you’re probably aware that Coldplay’s new album dropped (as they say in the biz) a few weeks ago. Being a big Coldplay fan, I pre-ordered it on iTunes and have been listening to it since it came out. I have to say that on the first few listens I wasn’t sure that I liked it. In fact for a few days I was quite sure that I didn’t like it. But with music, especially from artists I’m familiar with, I have to listen for quite a while before I make up my mind. I really don’t understand how “music critics” can listen a few times and make a judgment based on that.

Viva La Vida is in many ways a very different Coldplay than before. Once of the reasons I wasn’t sure if I liked it was because of the amount of orchestral instrumentation used. Especially on the title track, Viva La Vida, it felt like all production instruments- not the real Coldplay. I missed my Johnny Buckland guitar! But I left it in my cd player and let it grow on me. Over time the songs began to stick in my head and I’ve really come to appreciate this record. In fact I think it might become one of my favorites. I just had to get over the fact that this shouldn’t be “A Rush of Blood to the Head” all over again.

I’ve found that the music that has grown on me slowly usually sticks with me the longest. There have been many albums (not just Coldplay) that I really liked at first but then get annoying after so many listens. Albums that grow on me tend to have lots of things to discover in them. So that’s where I’m at with Viva La Vida. I think it’s a record that I’ll be discovering new pieces of for a long time.

~ by Dave on July 7, 2008.