Everything's Not Lost: Coldplay's Parachutes

Easily one of the better debut albums in the past five years - if not more - Coldplay's Parachutes is one of the most consistently great records I own. Having had it for over two years now, I was expecting that it might have grown a bit stale in retrospect (Travis any one?) - but here the opposite was true. If anything, I have progressively liked this album better with each new listen. What started out as a 3 1/2 star album upon purchase has, over time, risen in my mind to a 5 star classic. It's just that good.

Parachutes kicks off with the rather repetitive though catchy "Don't Panic" which moves nicely into one of the album's strongest numbers (and the first Coldplay song I ever heard), "Shiver", a love song of sorts with some fantastic guitar lines hovering just under Chris Martin's now distinctive falsetto:

From the moment I wake,
til the moment I sleep,
I'll be there by your side
just you try and stop me.

Well, perhaps that does sound a bit creepy, but it certainly doesn't come across that way in the context of the song itself. "Spies" is up next and, while not mind-blowing in any way, is still a decent song that some people seem to like a great deal. The highpoint of the album comes next with the one-two-three punch of "Sparks", "Yellow", and "Trouble". "Sparks" features the album's strongest bass line and some of its best lyrics. Martin wisely restrains himself through most of the song and the result is a mellow, moody number that in no way prepares you for the loud exuberance of "Yellow". Easily the band's best known song (in concert, just before launching into it, Martin proclaimed "Here's the song that took us around the world!"), "Yellow" is four and a half minutes of pop at its best. While the lyrics might border on the ridiculous at times, the melody and music behind them is just so damn contagious that you can't help but like the thing.

By the time you get to "Trouble", the album has already more than justified its existence, but they veer in a slightly different and equally impressive way with this number. Featuring a piano rather than a guitar for the first time, it catches you off guard at first - but it is quite easy to get caught up in the catchy piano line and the heartfelt delivery of the rather simplistic lyrics. Martin's voice once again shines on a track like this, and reminds you why this band has the staying power that so many other 'rock' bands lack; it's an earnestness that transcends the lyrics, a palpable feeling of emotion buried in most of these songs.

The next couple of tracks aren't particularly memorable, nor or they bad in any way. They exist, they're nice to listen to and they move the album along nicely to its conclusion. The final song on the album, however, is perhaps the finest track the band has recorded to date - and my personal favorite song on the album - "Everything's Not Lost". An absolutely stunning song in every way, from the piano only opening to the full-fledged instrumentation of its conclusion, the song is everything a great song should be: catchy, emotional, tender, uplifting and pure. It is the perfect way to close the album, and ultimately the song that lifts Parachutes from a four star album to a five star one. Though there is a hidden track (and a great one at that), "Everything's Not Lost" is the true closing number here, and as I mentioned, is near perfect.

The interesting thing about Parachutes is that I keep waiting to get tired of it. I've had it now for well over two years, and have played it all the way through plenty of times - but it just never seems to get 'old'. It might not be one of those albums that you play over and over get continual goosebumps from, but it is an album you can always count on to deliver when you just need to hear some plain old good music.