I’ve been meaning to pen my opinion on Deerhunter’s new album, Microcastles, but now that Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends is available for download on the internet, Coldplay has to be the spotlight here. I mean, these British rockers are one of the most overly hyped bands out there. I like Coldplay, meaning their songs aren’t too bad, and this new record leaves me with the same impression that I’ve always had on this group: this is a band that can definitely show off their effort and their musicianship is more than obvious. Likewise, this is a pretty good mix of songs.

The opener, “Life In Technicolor” is quite impressive to me, since we’re on Coldplay standards. I wouldn’t think of them as an instrumental track-making band. “42” is decent, but “Lost!” is even better. You’ll notice, if you actually listen to the album, that their songs sound like previous material, and there’s not much change in the substance here, but I wouldn’t think of Coldplay as the chameleon band.

“Cemeteries In London,” is a common style. The beginning of “Lovers In Japan/Reign of Love” is a reminder of those breezy summer days. Anyone, if they’re into the alternative scene, can enjoy Viva La Vida or Death … because it seems to be easy listening and the songs are good, too.

I think “Yes” is my favorite song from this album so far. Chris Martin is recognizable for his falsetto choruses, and there are those gentle guitar riffs that you can expect in a Coldplay song, so I would say this song showcases Coldplay’s formula.

Now we all heard “Viva La Vida” and “Violent Hill” and make judgments on that. They were both good, solid songs, along with a lot of the material on this new record by Coldplay. Maybe this isn’t ‘brilliant’ or a ‘masterpiece,’ but it really is a display of the abilities this band is capable of, and if there’s any band that really stays true to their sound and style, then it’s Coldplay. Well done, I have to say. B+/A-