Coldplay: Paying for the Sins of Keane

Coldplay has gotten the shaft in the court of musical opinion of late. A few years ago, pre-platinum album sales and arena tours, they were an essential buzz band, praised for their unique sound and great live presence. Well, some claimed they were highly derivative of U2, but most everyone agreed that they were a great new band destined for big things.

Now, the buzz has dried up and the perception is that Coldplay has officially become a 'supergroup.' That label, while complimentary in a sense, can also be dubious praise. A lot of music fans, occasionally myself included, have a hard time getting really excited about a band unless they feel they're among the 'early adopters', discovering a musical jewel before it goes mainstream. When a band 'makes it' and is embraced by the masses, being a fan just isn't as fun. Telling people you saw Coldplay at Shoreline Amphitheater, surrounded by 35,000 12-year-olds and pinheads who spend the whole show chanting "Play 'Yellow'!", isn't likely to impress anyone.

Since 2000, Coldplay has released two solid-to-stellar albums that had the misfortune of getting grossly overplayed (no fault of the band's), toured the globe a few times over, taken up some political causes, and married a (formerly) A-list Hollywood actress. So perhaps they've knowingly forfeited some of their indie credibility, but has that made them any less of a band?

The recent announcement of their new album and world tour hasn't been met with much enthusiasm from "in the know" music fans. Some act as though Coldplay is at fault for their rapid rise to musical glory, as though they should share the blame for inspiring countless, and mostly inferior, ripoff bands featuring soft piano, emotional lyrics, and falsetto-wailing lead singers.

And that's simply not fair. When you strip away image or fan dynamics or gossip column prominence, Coldplay is simply an innovative, talented band with a knack for churning out catchy, melodic songs. They've progressed musically with each album, a fact that bodes well with a new release coming in a few months. They may not be Franz Ferdinand or Bloc Party or whatever other flavor of the month is charming indie hearts (including my own) at the moment, but they're not Pearl Jam either, a once great band that hasn't made a listenable song in years.

I'm anxiously awaiting the pirated leak or, God forbid, the official release of the new album, 'X&Y', due out June 6. I may skip the show at Shoreline, however.

For a preview of the new album, check out this live recording of Coldplay's performance from the March 12 KCRW concert at Universal Amphitheater in LA.