Spring '08 LPs From Madonna, Coldplay, The Roots, Mudcrutch, Elvis Costello

Coldplay

Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends 6/17

For their fourth album, Coldplay enlisted producer Brian Eno to broaden their palette beyond the piano-heavy anthems the band is best known for: "Strawberry Swing" includes Afro-pop guitars, "42" is a three-part epic built on glitchy loops and "Yes!" mixes Middle Eastern percussion with Chris Martin's newfound deep-register vocals. "It's impossible to please everybody, and it took us a while to learn that," says Martin, adding that he credits Eno, who has made records with U2 and the Talking Heads, with helping the band leave its comfort zone. "You have to stop caring about what you're known for," says Martin. "So even if it's shit, at least it's brave."

Listen to Chris Martin discuss the effect singing low has on his voice teacher, what influenced Viva la Vida's sound and more