Coldplay's debut album, "Parachutes", has won them a bunch of awards, and the first single, "Yellow", has been receiving a fair amount of airplay in both Europe and America. But if you want to understand why this band is regarded as one of best new acts to have emerged from England, you need to dig a little deeper...
Perhaps it's simply that the songs on "Parachutes" are infused with lyrics that meld, rather than combat, with the instruments (guitar, piano and drums). Perhaps it's lead singer Chris Martin's soulful voice, which imbues the songs with depth and resonance beyond his years. Perhaps it's simply that the complete package sounds so good, with nary a false note, that it's hard to believe this is a first album.
The songs on "Parachutes" are a mix - there's the sweetly-longing "Yellow", the contrasting style of "Shiver", the paranoid rhythms of "Spies" and the slow opener, "Don't Panic". Each of these is backed up with acoustic guitar and competent drum and bass accompaniment, although Martin's voice is the highlight of the various cuts. A promising debut, this is one you should not hesitate picking up!
This article was first published on24 Apr 2001.