Even though this writer remembers being impressed by their above-average tunesmithery at an early gig supporting SHACK in London, the runaway success of COLDPLAY'S debut album "Parachutes" was still a surprise, bearing in mind this quartet - who eclipse even TRAVIS in The Men Who Couldn't Be More Normal stakes - were obviously still wet behind the ears on its' release.
Of course, with the likes of "Trouble" and "Shiver," MTV and their ilk basically had Radiohead-lite tunes to savour, so the band's continuing Stateside success should be expected, but (with hindsight), "Parachutes" was a fluffy, rather insubstantial affair made by four naive lads barely free of their final academic year.
Consequently, "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" comes with the stern weight of expectation resting squarely on its' shoulders, and - seeing as it's been going supernova in the six weeks or so since its' release - it looks like ensuring COLDPLAY will remain a 'name' for some time to come.
When all the money's counted and the graphs put away, however, is "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" actually any good? Well, yeah, it's not so bad at all: it easily outstrips "Parachutes" and does indeed boast several memorable, hook-stuffed tunes en route.
Most obvious is that two years of growing up and constant touring has left COLDPLAY bearing the scars, and this is very much an adult affair, with experience seeping through the cracks time and again. It's immediately apparent during the blurred crescendos of the opening "Politik", where Chris Martin almost pleads: "Give me time and give me space, give me real, don't give me fake."
This is COLDPLAY we're talking about, so don't expect earnestness to be too far away. However, both experience and urgency are sometimes positive forces here, not least driving (perhaps) the two best songs here, "Warning Sign" and "God Put A Smile On Your Face". The Chromatic acosutic intro and forced march beat of the latter are a definite boon, while on "Warning Sign", Martin sounds bushed and broken, with the chorus: "the truth is I miss you" getting to you every time. The latter, especially, reminds of Radiohead before they got obtuse and difficult and both are light years ahead of "Parachutes."
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There's more good stuff, too. "In My Place" does that keening, yearning thing better than most, while "Clocks" nagging, Chameleonic refrains kick in and on "Green Eyes" COLDPLAY even go all Country-Rock on us. OK, I grant you the end results are closer to Teddington than Tennessee, but it's still a decent love song.
Inevitably, this white suburban version of keepin' it real ensures "...Blood" succumbs to its' own neuroses at times. Although it'll no doubt be massive in a field near you, the plodding piano-ld ballads "The Scientist" and "Amsterdam" take too many tear-jerking John Lennon-y twists for this writer's liking, while tracks like "Daylight" and "A Whisper" find the band parodying themselves and Martin still annoyingly genuflecting at the Jeff Buckley shrine. Dagnabbit - leave him be, will you?
Nonetheless, "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" acquits itself well enough and - proffering a harder-edged, post-graduate version of their previous semi-acoustic sound - will do little to wrongfoot anyone previously swept up in their swirly, but approachable sound. It pisses off part of me that COLDPLAY will undoubtedly continue to ridiculously outsell their obvious influences (the Chameleons and t'Bunnymen especially), but at least if young fans find the likes of "Script Of The Bridge" and "Ocean Rain" through "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" then it's a worthy record.
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