Over the first five years of the new millennium, Coldplay went from nobodies to one of the world’s biggest rock bands. Naturally, they were expected to continue cranking out radio-friendly hits with their fourth album, but instead, they sought to separate themselves from their opening trio of albums by enlisting the left-field production talents of Brian Eno. From their flirtations with Afropop and tribal rhythms to immersive electronic ambience and patient song structures, his sonic fingerprints are all over the record.
Interestingly, Chris Martin’s vocals don’t often sit as icing on top of this sonic cake. Rather, they’re buried in among its reverbsoaked sponge, giving it an almost psych-rock flavour. Each song is allowed to rest and rise in its own time, rather than rush to that first chorus –…
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Prog Italia (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 148