PARACHUTES

By Coldplay
Released July 2000

REVIEW

The London foursome Coldplay are constant critic's darlings in the band's native U.K., showcasing melodic pop in a slew of EP releases and constant live shows since the spark of the new millennium. Not as heavy as Radiohead or snobbish as Oasis, Coldplay is a band of young musicians who are still honing their sweet harmonies on the debut release Parachutes. Combining bits of distorted guitar riffs and swishing percussion, Parachutes is a delightful introduction and also quickly indicates the reason why this album earned Coldplay a Mercury Music Prize nomination in fall 2000. Frontman Chris Martin's lyrical wordplay is feministic in the manner of Geneva's Andrew Montgomery, but far more withered. The imagery captured on Parachutes is exquisitely dark and artistically abrasive, and the entire composition is tractable thanks to gauzy acoustics and airy percussion. Coldplay's indie rock inclinations are also obvious, especially on songs such as "Don't Panic" and "Shiver," but it's the dream pop soundscapes captured on "High Speed" and "We Never Change" that illustrate the band's dynamic passion. This basic pop is surely a refreshing effort in the face of big productions like the Spice Girls and Westlife. Parachutes deserves the accolades it has received because it follows the general rule when introducing decent pop songs: keep the emotion genuine and real. And Coldplay has done that without hesitation. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

 

TRACKS

1	Don't Panic	Berryman/Buckland/C	2:17
2	Shiver	Berryman/Buckland/C	4:59
3	Spies	Berryman/Buckland/C	5:18
4	Sparks	Berryman/Buckland/C	3:47
5	Yellow	Berryman/Buckland/C	4:29
6	Trouble	Berryman/Buckland/C	4:30
7	Parachutes	Berryman/Buckland/C	:46
8	High Speed	Berryman/Buckland/C	4:14
9	We Never Change	Berryman/Buckland/C	4:09
10	Everything's Not Lost	Berryman/Buckland/C	7:15

PERFORMERS

Bass	Guy Berryman
Drums	Will Champion
Guitar	Jon Buckland
Vocals	Chris Martin