Parachutes : Coldplay : Review : Rolling Stone

Who will be the next Radiohead? Or the next Verve, or Travis? In England, the answer on everyone's lips is Coldplay. On its debut album, Parachutes, this youthful quartet resembles each of the above bands. Coldplay make straight-ahead, melodic Brit pop that strives for significance with a capital s, even as it has a hard time shaking its influences -- you can also hear the ethereal guitar chime of U2, a bit of Dave Matthews' breathy folk implosion, even a misting of Roger Waters-era Pink Floyd. More than anyone, however, the ghost of Jeff Buckley lingers here, as the go-anywhere falsetto on songs like "Shiver" demonstrates. Parachutes ultimately rises above its influences to become a work of real transcendence: On songs like the unrepentantly romantic "Yellow," the band creates a hypnotic slo-mo otherworld where spirit rules supreme. When frontman Chris Martin moans about "skin and bones/Turning to something beautiful," he could very well be talking about his own band.

MATT DIEHL

(Posted: Oct 3, 2000)

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Review 1 of 2

4of 5 Stars

Post Radiohead brit pop. What a more optimistic Jeff Buckly might have recorded in another world where he fronted The Smiths. Check out the beautiful guitar textures on Don't Panic,Spies and Everything's All Right.

Dec 5, 2005 20:50:57

Review 2 of 2

5of 5 Stars

A fantastic debut album from the British quartet, bursts onto the scene. This Grammy Award winning record starts with the imperative "Don;t Pansic" until the "Everything is not Lost." Millions own it, but it is a must buy without a doubt.

J.A. Garrido

Dec 5, 2005 10:07:10

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