Remember when Coldplay’s A Rush Of Blood To The Head came out? And their single “Clocks” was all over the place? And you loved it? Yeah, don’t lie to me. I was 10 when “Clocks” broke and I listened to it all the time. My love for Coldplay has waned considerably since then, but I still break out A Rush Of Blood To The Head occassionally. I find it to be a great album to listen to when I can’t sleep. Which I guess isn’t that much of a compliment, like, Yo, Mr. Gywneth Paltrow, your music really puts me to sleep…but whatever.

So after that came X&Y, which I jammed on somewhat, but by that time I was in full-on emo mode, and so X&Y got dumped pretty quick in favor of Fall Out Boy. Who, by the way, I still love. Yeah that’s right…I love Fall Out Boy and I’m not afraid to say it. Wow, proclaiming my love for Fall Out Boy and Coldplay in one post…I’m just going down today.

Anyway, then there was that whole hiatus. Now, legit hiatuses kind of put me off when you are a band like Coldplay. Like, excuse me, you need a hiatus? Why, because your life is just SO hard? Ohhh the horrible life of an internationally adored rich rock star. But, at least in the rock community, hiatuses are often just a fancy word for “we’re breaking up,” so I honestly did not expect to hear from Coldplay until 20 years from now when the royalties run out so they do a shitty reunion tour for a couple extra bucks.

Which is why, when they announced Viva La Vida, or, Death and All His Friends (aka that new Coldplay CD), I was shocked and immediately assumed it must suck. Logical, I know, but I guess I just didn’t buy it that they would come back from a hiatus with good stuff. Plus, the CD title is a total My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome To The Black Parade” rip-off, so that put me off as well.

But then, about a week ago, I actually heard the new single. It’s really good. I kind of love it. It’s epic and feels old and important and somehow, I have no idea how, it sounds totally wispy and delicate yet incredibly strong at the same time. It’s reserved but firm. It’s borderline cliche, I mean it’s super close to being too much with the bells and everything. It almost becomes a silly 80s rock ballad with way too many effects, but it saves itself and just becomes, almost, dare I say….dare, dare….meaningful.

Ok, give it a listen and hate away, but you know that beneath all the shouts of “boring,” “silly,” and “overdone,” you are kind of into it. And I will leave now, while the tiniest bit of my sceneness remains intact, to try and rack up some hip points to replace the 100s I just lost.