Coldplay - Show Us Your Hand
On the TV Program 60 minutes, Chris Martin showed the presenter a list of their 'band code', one of which is ‘be mysterious, don’t give many interviews,’ however I feel we are granted so much access to these guys through their music.
Coldplay, "Do you love em or hate em?", is one of the biggest questions I get when talking to people. I have friends who can’t stand the band, and then I have a friend who travelled with me to the other side of Australia just to catch one of their shows, as they weren't playing in our city. Their songs are used extensively in dance mixes and they seem to re-invent themselves with every album , bringing a more evolved sound and increasingly epic musi videos. One of the reasons I could love the band, I don’t know for sure why I do, could be their openness and accessibility. I mentioned this trait in an earlier blog about Billy Joel and perhaps he is the one who set a precedent in my heart and mind. Combine their willingness to be open, along with catchy melodies and a unique sound of a very common style, and you get hooked.
I think I remember the time I fell in love with Coldplay. It was in 2003 and just after they had released the album ‘A Rush of Blood To The Head.’ I had seen the band before at Australia’s ‘Big Day Out’ festival, and remember the ‘Yellow’ music video being played on MTV. The song never really grabbed my attention initially and the visual elements of the band were certainly underwhelming. For those who remember it was basically Chris Martin walking on the beach in a raincoat, sounding a little bit like the bands Travis or Oasis. You can see the clip below.
It probably took a couple of years to really catch on, which set a precedent in my listening habits of the band. Their music never really grabbed me initially but after a few self-imposed hearings, I would become mesmerised by their songs, often overplaying an album to the point I could listen no more……for a time.
Chris Martin is interesting as he doesn't have a good singing voice by any stretch of the imagination. He seems to not have worked on it correctly in all of his years as the front man of Coldplay, however in saying that……. the sound belongs to him, and I like it. It is perfect for what he sings. I do believe he could feel better when he vocalises, as he tends to sing a little throaty, and there is no effortless connection between his registers which singers in a similar genre, such as Brandon Flowers (the Killers) and Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) possess.
Chris has a tendency to pull his chest voice high. He also has to flip into a falsetto on tracks which require the higher registers of the voice, so this leaves him with not too many ‘gears on the bike’ so to speak. However, the combination of lyrical content combined with the rhythm of the drummer, and the sounds produced by the guitarist and you get the perfect storm. Certainly for my ears and emotions, and it appears millions share my experience.
Any band that can string together 6 albums and tour for over 15 years obviously shows commitment, perseverance and a willingness to grow, and these character traits, not natural talent, are what I believe are their reasons for success.
I leave you with a clip from their album Mylo Xyloto as a tribute to their willingness to change.