Viva la Vida

iTunes Review

Coldplay's choice of U2 producer Brian Eno to oversee the majority of their fourth album, Vida la Vida, doesn’t alter their sound so much as refine it. Coldplay are a polite sounding group, eager with melody and attracted to smooth surfaces; the extra guitar shimmers and the elegantly programmed orchestrations are hardly a departure for them. Several tracks, including the title track and  “Lovers in Japan,” veer closely to U2 territory, adopting their marching lope, hijacking their percussive yet ambient guitars, and swallowing up singer Chris Martin in a blur of reverb, but then Coldplay has often resembled a modest version of the Irish supergroup in their ambient ambitions. Martin's social conscience can be heard underneath the murky rock and hypnotic drones. “Violet Hill” explores his own mixed feelings towards violence, trying to discern what is necessary versus what is excessive. The title track is either calling for the end of the world or celebrating the end of an empire. Martin’s worldview may be filled with unsolvable paradoxes, but his band builds a commanding presence as the musical authority that drives “Yes,” “Life in Technicolor,” and the gorgeous “Lost!” makes clear.