Music Review: X & Y by Coldplay

Alex D.

After hearing the single “Speed of Sound” on MTV one morning I just had to get my hands on this new hit, X&Y Coldplay’s newest release. Realizing that Coldplay even had a new album out baffled me though. After “A Rush of Blood to the Head” their second album with familiar tracks like “Clocks” and “Scientist” had come out, the band had announced it to be their last album.

When you hear that it’s called X&Y you just think its some weird reference to something the band is trying to tell you. The puzzle aligns when you turn the album over and see that there are two sides to the album X&Y, just like old vinyl baby. In a recent interview Coldplay’s bassist Guy Berryman, explained why they chose this format.  

“Our idea of an album, a perfect album, is prob­ably not too long, being about 10 songs. I think when we came to compile all the songs on the record, we tried to pick 10 but we realized there were certain ones we couldn’t leave off, so it was gonna be more than 10 and so just so it seems like a shorter album, or you can listen to it in 2 halves, we split it into a sort of A and B side so mentally it prepares you and that was the idea.”

 You may not think an album is nothing more than songwriting, adding instruments and getting signed but its so much more that that. Being unaware of all of the layers the album is made of, you may not realize how important the track listing is. If songs are in different orders than people may or may not like it depending just on the song number. Will Champion had something to say about this during a recent interview

 “It’s crucial. Track listing is important. You can re-arrange the songs and make it sound like a completely different record. The 1st record was done in a specific order originally and we gave it to some people and they came back saying it was the most miserable record they’d ever    heard, good but incredibly depressing and so changed it around a bit and everyone’s like, ‘Oh it seems like it’s so optimistic!’. So, it’s just a way of steering people down the journey of the record and whether it makes sense or not. Certain tracks go well into each other and just try­ing to get the right journey through the songs.

 Even though Coldplay’s new album took 18 months of studio time and work, it was worth waiting for. When a band or artist is passionate about music, they will do what ever it takes. Chris Martin, Coldplay front man explains what this album stands for in a recent interview.

“In mathematics X and Y were always the answer, but in life no one knows… to me this album is about those unanswerable questions, and what you should do about the fact, that you can’t explain all unknown variables.”

Coldplay’s new album X&Y, was amazing. I really enjoy this new album though, and was happy hearing there was more Coldplay to come. However, if you have just gotten over a break up- I wouldn’t recommend this album. Its romantic lyrics about love and loss might break your heart again and trigger those tears.