Put simply, Coldplay's new album- A Rush of Blood to the Head- rocks. Other people seem to agree; I hear that Rolling Stone has labeled the British quartet as the next Radiohead, even that they could one day become the next U2. But hype doth not a good band make. Here's why I like them.

I purchased Coldplay's first album, Parachutes on the strength of one song, the single Yellow. The whole album captivated me with its mellow landscape of sound: the rhythmic groove of Spies, the soulful melancholy of Yellow, the uplifting conclusion of Everything's Not Lost. While these are the songs that stick out for me, there is not a song on Parachutes that I do not like, and such albums are few and far between.

Coldplay's second offering is another one.

Again, we are treated to a decent variety of sound, from the percussive introduction of Politik, to the acoustically driven God Put a Smile Upon Your Face, to the ethereal keyboards of Clocks, to the menacing crescendo of the title track and its denouement in Amsterdam. As with Parachutes, some tracks are more memorable than others, but there are none that I cannot listen to.

Overall, Rush of Blood is a darker album than Parachutes; you could look at it as the continuation of a story, after two years of love, heartbreak and introspection. I can certainly see a mournful parallel between Yellow and The Scientist. Where the one is a ballad that looks at the stars and "how they shine for you," the other regretfully notes that "nobody said it was easy/it's such a shame that we should part/...I'm going back to the start."

My favourite moments? The understated delay of the guitar on the bridge of Politik. The gradual buildup and climax of The Scientist. Clocks. The chorus of Rush of Blood to the Head (which I find reminiscent of Dark-Side era Pink Floyd).

Coldplay is a band with great potential. They've released the second album, where many bands tend to waver, and it is good. Given that frontman Chris Martin is an earnest perfectionist, I think that the band would rather quit than release a bad record. May they continue to produce beautiful music for many albums to come.

(This review was first posted at theLimeyBrit.)

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