Coldplay's Viva La Vida is one of the most anticipated albums of 2008 - it sold 125,000 copies in one day in the UK and is well on its way to becoming one of the biggest selling records in a first week of release.
That's no mean feat considering the music industry's current struggles with record sales. So it must be Coldplay's hype and reputation that is driving this demand, right?
Wrong. The British rockers have released a quality compilation of songs that will fuel many a lazy Sunday for years to come while quenching the masses' demands for catchy singles.
Viva La Vida is much less commercially driven than Coldplay's previous albums and more substantial in terms of production values, lyrics and experimentation. From a few listens I'd say there are only two tracks that stand out as sure-fire hits.
The singles Violet Hill and Viva La Vida - which features in iTunes' latest advertising campaign - are standout tracks and will no doubt be in danger of over-exposure over the coming months. Let's hope not.
Plenty of other songs are in no danger of overexposure whatsoever. A feature of the album is producer Brian Eno and sonic-synth mastermind Jon Hopkins' soundscapes.
The record is book-ended by two instrumental tracks that introduce and conclude everything rather nicely - the intro is particularly poignant, doing the perfect job of setting the album's mood. Reign of Love and Death And All His Friends also show off Eno's and Hopkins' outstanding production skill-sets.
Elsewhere, Cemeteries Of London's House of the Rising Sun/Irish-folk feel is a solid second track while Strawberry Swing has a Bowie-esque feel to it and will stick in your head for days.
A lot of the album has a soundtrack feel and can pass you by before you know it - in a good way. It also doesn't make you feel depressed - a major complaint of previous releases.
This album is a step forward. Viva La Vida has not lost any of Coldplay's trademark melodic masterclass and it has managed to expand their sound to a level that will keep the band interesting, relevant and successful for at least a few more years to come.
Well done Mr Martin.
*Coldplay's Viva La Vida is out now through EMI.
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