Zack: Let’s put a little context into when this album
came out. I was 10, and a huge Eminem fan. I was still two years removed from
owning my first CD, but that’s where I was at that time. Slim Shady LP came out
the year before and Marshall Mathers LP about two months prior. I was so into
Eminem and, in general, the popular rap scene at the time, that I tended to
eschew alternative music as annoying, both the established acts like U2 and R.E.M.
that had defined the previous 10 years of the genre and the newer bands like
Coldplay an Foo Fighters that would define the following ten. I remember
finding Yellow to be a brutal couple of minutes every time it came on the
radio. Now, things are obviously quite a bit different. I love the alternative
music scene and Foo Fighters specifically are one of my favorite bands. Songs
that I used to hate like Times Like These and Trouble I now appreciate as
staples of modern rock. And my animosity towards Coldplay has drastically
dissipated. But I still had never listened to an entire Coldplay album before.
I have their complete discography and have made it halfway through several of
their albums. If I’m being honest, they just have some great singles and remind
me of so many other great bands. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to
listen to listen to Viva la Vida only to end up listening to Lost and Violet
Hill a few times, putting Paradise on repeat (more recently of course) and then
just going and listening to Fake Plastic Trees, some Muse, maybe a U2 song, and
then playing Foo Fighters. Coldplay gives me a major case of musical ADHD. And
so I was afraid I would need some Adderall to get through this album. But,
lo-and-behold, it held my attention just fine. That’s probably because it is
really, really good. It starts out pretty strong, builds up to a run of
fantastic songs in the middle – including the two big singles – then slowly
lets down and ends with a strong last track (with a hidden song as well) that
reminds you how pleasant the past 40 minutes were and inspires you to go back
and relisten to several of the less-popular songs that you otherwise would have
overlooked. Quite frankly, this album made me happy that I’ve moved on from my
shallow musical tastes from when I was 10.
Favorite Tracks: Shiver; Trouble; Sparks
Emily: I've never really come across anyone who is a die-hard Coldplay fan. My friend Matt (he wrote for us a while back, if you remember) got tickets to see them for his birthday last year. While he was excited, Coldplay definitely wouldn't have been his first choice. One girl that I'm Facebook friends with (whom I worked with a few years back) frequently posts about her love for Chris Martin, so I guess she's one. Coldplay is a band that many people find pleasant and enjoyable for the few singles played on the radio, but most won't delve too much further into their discography. Parachutes was the first time I've listened to a full Coldplay album - fitting, since it's their debut as well. Now, I think I understand those as-yet invisible Coldplay fans, the ones that fill stadiums and actually buy these albums and listen to them right when they come out (as opposed to, say, 12 years later for a blog...). Coldplay's debut is refreshingly honest, open, and beautifully done. They've gone a bit more over-the-top in recent years, but Parachutes is more intimate. Minimal musical arrangements are punctuated by the piano and Chris Martin's vocals. While I don't know how well these songs play with their current stadium crowd, I can see them working so well in a small club - and with every audience member singing along.
Favorite Tracks: Shiver; Yellow; Spies
Emily: I've never really come across anyone who is a die-hard Coldplay fan. My friend Matt (he wrote for us a while back, if you remember) got tickets to see them for his birthday last year. While he was excited, Coldplay definitely wouldn't have been his first choice. One girl that I'm Facebook friends with (whom I worked with a few years back) frequently posts about her love for Chris Martin, so I guess she's one. Coldplay is a band that many people find pleasant and enjoyable for the few singles played on the radio, but most won't delve too much further into their discography. Parachutes was the first time I've listened to a full Coldplay album - fitting, since it's their debut as well. Now, I think I understand those as-yet invisible Coldplay fans, the ones that fill stadiums and actually buy these albums and listen to them right when they come out (as opposed to, say, 12 years later for a blog...). Coldplay's debut is refreshingly honest, open, and beautifully done. They've gone a bit more over-the-top in recent years, but Parachutes is more intimate. Minimal musical arrangements are punctuated by the piano and Chris Martin's vocals. While I don't know how well these songs play with their current stadium crowd, I can see them working so well in a small club - and with every audience member singing along.
Favorite Tracks: Shiver; Yellow; Spies
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