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Parachuting to Earth

by Spencer Ross

The new British Invasion is definitely upon us once more to start the millenium. At the very end of the 90s and into the 00s, a new wave of British pop has taken hold in the rock genre, however it has a different sound than the one the Beatles introduced in the 60s. The new wave was probably started in the early-mid 90s with the likes of bands like Radiohead, and is continuing today with Coldplay's 2000 release, Parachutes. Upon first listen, you can't help but be reminded by two of the biggest bands to come over from Britain in recent years, Travis and Radiohead. Parachutes sounds like a summation of the the work of Travis and Radiohead's 2000 release, Kid A. If you're a fan of either, then this four star album will suit you perfectly.

Stylistically, the music is a lot like every other British band trying to make it big now. The music consists of a simple bass, light drum beats, textured guitar, rhythm guitar for the filler, and occasionally another instrument, such as the piano. Parachutes opens with "Don't Panic" and a strumming pattern that is similar to that of another British band, Blur's, "Coffee and TV." The plucking of the lead guitar is spacey with a lot of slides, a pattern that lead guitarist Jonny Buckland seems to derive part from Radiohead and part from U2's The Edge. Even the lyrics are simple and repetitive. However, they get the mood across when they combine with the music itself.

The mellow voice of singer Chris Martin carries through a lot of the ballads on the album, and just the tone of the album makes it seem like every song is some kind of ballad. On "Sparks," he sings "My heart is yours, It’s you that I hold on to, That’s what I do, And I know I was wrong, But I won’t let you down..."  It's these complexly simple lyrics that make this album worth listening to.   Or on the song "Life is for Living," Martin sings, "But, life is for living, We all know, And I don’t wanna live it alone."  While the general mode of this album is mildly depressing, it is simple music that says a lot and will continue to drive up this band's musical reputation among all the new british bands.