Album Essentials: Coldplay "X & Y"
By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor
Formed in the late 1990s, Coldplay rapidly ascended the rails of pop music success. Over their first two albums, 'Parachutes,' in 2000, and 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head,' in 2002, they were winning fans all over the globe. Songs like 'Yellow,' 'Sparks,' and 'Clocks' all scored big at radio, and sold well as singles, especially in their native England. Meanwhile, both of those albums continued to sell, building up their fan base with 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' hitting the number one spot in the UK, and Top 10 U.S.
So when it came time for album three, they went ahead and started recording, business as usual, but soon realized they weren't where they were supposed to be. "We realized that we'd been working quite disparately," singer Chris Martin said in an interview to promote the album. "So we went to a small rehearsal space in North London, and we all got a great buzz off playing together, and we realized that it seemed like we'd gone wrong as it didn't feel as exciting as this, so we went back into another studio and started over."
This led the band to the decision that they wanted to shake things up a bit with their sound. Like the first two albums, the band worked with producer Ken Nelson, but this time also brought in Danton Supple, who had previously lent a hand to mixing their second LP. Supple was a very hip and respected producer in the UK, having worked with a wide variety of acts ranging from Pet Shop Boys and Morrissey to Suede and U2, so it seemed a natural and wise move to bring him in deeper.
On 'X & Y' they brought in more electronic influences, evident on songs like 'Speed Of Sound,' but left plenty of room for a more signature sound like the ballad ‘The Hardest Part.' The band continued to take inspiration from the likes of U2, The Smiths, and mid-period Echo & the Bunnymen, which along with a soft spot for soft pop, basically makes up the Coldplay sound.
The band's idea to shake things up a bit proved a good move, as the album topped the American charts, their first to do so. As the band soon moves in on the 25th anniversary of their debut, 'X & Y' remains a key moment in their evolution.