20 Signs of Life in 2002

Some were willing to chalk up the success of Coldplay’s 1999 debut, Parachutes, to the one-hit wonder status of "Yellow" and the band’s Bends-era Radiohead vibe en vogue at the time. The question was and still is worth asking: Does Coldplay simply tread the well-worn ground of "Thoughtful Rock Band" previously broken by U2 and Radiohead, or do they have something worthwhile to say?

On their sophomore album, Chris Martin and Co. have resisted the temptation to prove that they can rock. Rather than build a bigger sound in the vein of "Yellow"-style pop anthems, they’ve constructed gently cascading soundscapes, and the average track on A Rush of Blood to the Head is more like an epic lullaby than a sing-along hit. The leadoff track "Politik," displays a dynamic contrast rarely found on Parachutes, another sign that Coldplay has honed its craft. The production is both warm and full, and cuts like "In My Place" shimmer with subtle power.

Lyrically, melancholy pervades much of the album, at times conjuring up bleak, almost arctic images of isolation. Any sense of ennui is tempered by a cautious optimism, however; as the ominously swirling strings of "Daylight" build, Martin sings, "I am nothing in the dark / and the clouds burst to show the daylight." For a record that addresses loneliness and world-weariness, there is a light at the end of Coldplay’s tunnel.

The thing that sets Coldplay apart musically from many of its contemporaries (like Travis and Starsailor) is the band’s ability to create space within songs. Even the most epic numbers on A Rush of Blood allow the listener room to breathe, realizing Martin’s articulated goal of being "catchy without being slick." The songs are stripped down to bare-bones elements in all the right places, like the hushed introduction to the title track, beginning with Martin’s vocals and a washed-out acoustic guitar, eventually surging into a reverb-drenched symphony.

Coldplay might have reneged on the pop-anthem promise of "Yellow" in favor of a more intimate sound, perfected in sparse numbers like "The Scientist" and "Amsterdam." Too quiet to be the next U2, and too in love with guitars and melody to be the new Radiohead, the band has instead cemented their identity as the first Coldplay -- not a bad thing at all.

See the rest of our 20 Signs of Life in 2002.