Coldplay - 'The Scientist' (Parlophone)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
On one side of the spectrum, you've got unbearably soppy, and - on the other - pretentious nonsense. Most tend to lean on either one of the two, and Coldplay themselves have been known to wobble occasionally, but, for 'The Scientist', it seems they've found the comfortable middle-ground, set up camp, and recorded a single there... And perhaps that's why the results are so damn gorgeous.
Ironically, though, today's musical climate shouldn't be so kind to Chris Martin's band of not-so-merry minstrels; they haven't got a 'The' and they're not 'nu' or 'post' anything, simply having to rely on good, old-fashioned song-writing dexterity to get them through. It's this very fact that makes all criticism of them ineffectual. Yes, it's highly polished, it's got no danger to it and is as commercial as they come - but pile that all to one corner. What a song.
For a lengthy period, it relies solely on Martin's dulcet tones and a lovingly played piano which is achingly effective enough, but, by the time it mutates into a whole band effort after the second chorus has run its sombre path, there shouldn't be a dry eye left in the house. Really, this could make a rock break down. 'Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard...', and nobody let on Coldplay would ever get quite this good either.
Evaluating the course of events, perhaps the continually-escalating quartet should call their own bluff and quit after two classic albums in a Joy Division style as they threatened earlier this year. At least that way no rot would set in, and we'd remember them this way; after all, 'The Scientist' is not just the sound of Coldplay at their peak - but the sound of song-writing as a whole reaching a glorious new level.
Artists in this article: Coldplay
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