Have listened to Coldplay's X+Y again. I know I always say I hate the album, and that hasn't changed. It is completely and utterly pedestrian in its conceit, devoid of all bounce, flutter, humour, sadness and love.
Take The Hardest Part, for instance. It's a typical X+Y song, totally banal in terms of sentiment, lyrics, feel, harmony, rhythm. And not even a hint of joy in the way that they play it: it is rehearsed and polished to within an inch of its life. And that mix! When that keyboard (guitar?) line comes in 2'43, right through to the end with the double tracked vocal and tiny vocal harmony... then the piano lead out... it's a perfectly constructed mix. Utterly in-your-face obviousness, all shiny plastic surfaces, no depth... yet strangely moreish, like a Damien Hurst, or a McDonalds happy meal.
Yet, there are roughnesses here and there – a misplaced drum hit that hasn't been digitally aligned; the messy and out of tune lead guitar in Square One; the sloppy cross-fade into Fix You. But the overall 'plastic aesthetic' makes the listener completely intolerant of these mistakes! I keep thinking oh just one more take and you're there. It's a weird conclusion to reach, that tiny bits of roughness are simply unwelcome laziness. There aren't many albums that evoke this kind of reaction... in fact, I couldn't imagine thinking this about anything other than the most Perspex-like pop. Why? Because in most cases, there is a give-and-take relationship between polish and humanity. You put up with the wrong notes because of what would be lost by perfecting the performance. Here, no such give-and-take relationship occurs.
So, what the album lacks most is humanity. And this means the only possible 'tension' (between rough and smooth) is perpetually resolved in favour of the smooth. The album is has no purpose, no journey. It doesn't go anywhere. It is anthemic, yes, but utterly static, and strangely meaningless. A loudspeaker blasting orders into the face of a lifeless shop mannequin.
It is a plastic totem.
Two massive, yellow, plastic arches forming a capital letter M.
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