Music: A Rush Of Blood To The Head (Coldplay)

Album Review: A Rush Of Blood To The Head by Coldplay

Released in August 2002, A Rush Of Blood was a major improvement for Coldplay over their debut album Parachutes. The band developed a greater variety in their music, and came up with some great "stadium rock" songs that helped catapult their fame. They still had plenty of room for improvement here, as they found another formula they liked and tended to stick to that as if their confidence was still a little shaky. But, they do show more boldness with the tone of their songs, and the added power gives the music a much greater kick. Important step forward.

1. "Politik"
The album opens with a familiar pattern of simple yet driving drum and guitar parts. When Chris comes in, the guitars and drums drop out, with only a soft piano as accompaniment. But the verses already show a musical intensity that promises something beyond their earlier work. The chorus is a simple reflection of that first guitar and drum part, but Chris' vocal and lyrics give it an edge. Then the last two minutes completely changes the style with a more gentle part led by Chris and the guitar; unfortunately, I feel this weakens the song. Still a great track, but bogged down a bit by the end.

2. "In My Place"
Here's one of my very favorite Coldplay songs, and one of their big hits. The drums provide a slowish but very strong beat, and the guitar part is incredibly infectious and affecting, with a great bass (?) counterpoint. Martin's vocal verses are also great; very expressive, but not over the top, volume- or pitch-wise. The refrain is also a great fit, and the middle eight continues the tone of a steady but subdued hope throughout the song. The song then goes to a gentle ending - but the band keeps this one short, and the track length as a whole is perfect when Coldplay can tend to get carried away. Fantastic song.

3. "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face"
This one starts off with a guitar part with the same tone as "Politik," though there's no drums here and it's quieter. Chris comes in with a verse that also has a similar feel but also unique. Then come the drums, along with a harsher sounding guitar part and nice bass part. Chris' chorus is very nice, and the drums really keep it humming as he holds out some nice extended notes. Martin then starts repeating "as good as mine" as instruments build around him, and finally he also builds in intensity with some echo but not overdone. Again, the song comes back down in intensity for the end but like "In My Place" it's kept brief. Very strong track.

4. "The Scientist"
Here we have the first ballad on the album, and this one starts off with a nice piano part. Chris enters with a tenderly-sung verse, still accompanied only by piano. The chorus is nice as well, with some great lines: "nobody said it was easy, nobody said it would be so hard." Subdued guitar and drum parts enter after this, as well as some backing vocals, with Martin's lead vocal definitely the focus. The song ends with another change in style, like in "Politik" - and like in that song, it doesn't really fit (here, a simple guitar part with Chris "ooo"ing). Nice song, but it's a little long with not quite enough variety and/or pace.

5. "Clocks"
Perhaps Coldplay's biggest hit, the opening piano part is surely recognizable to millions of people now. And it is a very nice, trademark Coldplay simple but infectious part. Chris has a cool vocal during the verses, one of his best to this point, and he's accompanied by a neat drum rhythm and soft keyboard shimmering. The refrain is just some "ooo"ing, but it fits the sort of mystical feeling of the song. The guitars are very well played, their contributions fitting great with the other instruments while not disrupting the more important piano and drums. The middle eight is alright, although Martin's vocal is a bit off. The rest is instrumental and "ooo"ing, but it fits in this song that floats along effortlessly. Great pop songwriting.

6. "Daylight"
Here we start with an intriguing, exotic-sounding guitar and keyboard part, followed by Martin entering with a great vocal that is effectively double-tracked with a lower part and accompanied by a great bass part. The chorus changes things up perfectly while keeping the overall feel of the song intact, and when it returns to that more exotic sound, it's new all over again. Like in "God Put A Smile", Chris begins to repeat a line ("slowly breaking through the daylight") as the instruments play around him, and the song fades out to this pattern. One of Coldplay's most underrated song, this one is just great.

7. "Green Eyes"
Oops. Now we get perhaps my least favorite Coldplay song. I'm not sure what they were going for; perhaps a bit of a country feel? (also might be why I don't like it) It's basically just Chris and acoustic guitars, and Martin's vocal is not particularly good here (it's at its worst when he rises up to hit "be out of their MIIIIIIND!!!" (OUCH!!!). Quick, hit the fast forward button!

8. "Warning Sign"
A gritty-sounding but soft guitar part is what we hear first here, followed by drums keeping the slow beat and a wavering keyboard part. The verses definitely take you back to Parachutes, and it does kind of feel like a leftover from that album. The chorus is perhaps passable, but I'm really not a fan of those accordions (adding healthy doses of sap). I think the instrumentals are strong on this song, but the songwriting doesn't fit on this album.

9. "A Whisper"
Now we get a slightly faster song here, with a neat guitar part that kind of sounds like someone strumming a homemade guitar (OK, that doesn't sound appealing, but just trust me). I believe the rhythm here is in 6/8, which might be part of why I like it, and Chris seems comfortable with this pattern. The verses and chorus don't really come together like most songs, but Chris sings them well. The song ends with a grating keyboard gradually enveloping the guitars and other instruments. Not an ambitious piece, but a pretty well executed one.

10. "A Rush Of Blood To The Head"
Chris starts off with a soft, contemplative vocal, as a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment is eventually replaced by a more conventional lineup. The chorus is a sudden burst of energy and intensity, both from Chris' vocal (which is not loud, but very effective) and a striking guitar part. The song calms back down a bit, but thereafter even the verses seem to absorb quite a bit of the outburst from the chorus. Chris finishes off with a bit of a variation on the verses. It's a fine song, but it's way too long.

11. "Amsterdam"
This one starts off with a very pretty piano part, and Chris joins in with a matching, gentle, tender vocal, which slowly gains a little more range and he hits the high notes well. A bit of a backing vocal is a nice touch, but the band does well to keep it a minimal production, with no drums to be found until well into the last act, and when they do come in it's a cool effect, having been preceded by a strong guitar opener. The song then returns to its simple roots to bring the album to a close. Very strong track, another underrated song.

Score: 4 out of 5. Coldplay maintains its consistency of quality from track-t0-track, and even improves it on this album. The music is far more adventurous here, and there are more stand out tracks than on Parachutes' quality but uninspiring songs. However, they still relied a little too much on the same song structures track after track, and Martin's vocal isn't top tier yet.

Essentials: "In My Place", "Clocks", "Daylight", "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face"
Weak(er) Songs: "Green Eyes", "Warning Sign"