Speed Of Sound

Monday saw the release of the first Coldplay single in many a moon in anticipation of their forthcoming album X & Y in May. It doesn't really matter whether it is any good because with the kudos Chris Martin has at the moment following two outstanding albums already and a high profile marriage to Gwynny the album will sell millions and millions and be at number one well into the Winter probably. And I'm not against the idea - Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head still get played from my collection at least once every couple of weeks, the tunes are just so damn good! But is it any good? Well as a single my first impression was, well, if this is the best song on the album it could spell trouble, but after several listens you realise that it has that ineffable catchyness that makes it a perfect Spring release: it's bright, bouncy and hooks you into endless humming after a while. The secret to this is Martin's childishly simplistic piano riff, that was seen to such effect on the last album. 4 notes played in a sequence of 16 that will stay in your brain even if you despise Coldplay (and I know many do - idiots!). As it stands, X & Y is the album I have been looking forward to most all year - and just think, if it is as big as the last two it has to go down as one of the best first 3 album releases in music history - not something to dismiss lightly, no matter what you may think of them. Altogether now: da da da da, da da da da.... Kx