Review Summary: An inconsistent, but unique and often beautiful starting point for one of the most talented British rock bands of the new millennium.
“We know that’s terrible music, and we always try to think about what we can do next.” – Chris Martin, 2006, in reference to Coldplay’s 2000 debut album
Parachutes
While it seems somewhat ridiculous to think that Coldplay’s frontman would express such an intense dislike for the band’s debut, it does make a lot of sense that they would feel that way, especially given how much the band’s sensibilities have changed over the 15 years (give or take) of their existence. The stripped-down songwriting approach and production of this record have been long abandoned in favour of a compulsively polished sound, sometimes for the better (
A Rush of Blood to the Head,
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends), sometimes for the worse (
X&Y,
Ghost Stories), and sometimes for the downright bewildering (
Mylo Xyloto). It’s not hard to see that whenever the band feels obligated to perform “Yellow” for the 50 bajillionth time in front of an audience, it understandably must feel not only out of place but also utterly tiresome. Coldplay don’t dislike their debut out of arrogance or even out of a desire to seem cool to their newer audiences; they genuinely feel as though they’ve moved on to bigger and better things with their music. And, once again, it’s certainly an understandable viewpoint for the band to have, but the rest of us can’t help but sit here and think it’s also rather sad.
Because “Yellow” isn’t all there is to this album.
The fuzzy distortion and naïve lyrics of the song that came to define the first part of Coldplay’s career are not only uncharacteristic of the rest of their discography, but fail even to belong comfortably in the very album they came from. While “Yellow” sounds very much like a band following the path tread by Radiohead back in 1995, the rest of
Parachutes is the product of a very different beast, prominently featuring clean and/or acoustic guitars, very band-oriented songwriting and arrangements that sound almost jazzy at times. While some later albums often sound like Chris Martin singing over a backing band,
Parachutes gives the impression of being made by a group of talented musicians working together as a unit, and that’s part of what makes it so unique and impressive. The band not only had a ton of great ideas to bring to the table here, but they also did so with uncanny sense of balance, giving all four members lots of opportunities to shine as individuals and as an ensemble.
The other thing that makes this album great is the sheer fact that some of these songs are among the absolute best of the band’s career. The opening four tracks are just about flawless, “Shiver” and “Spies” being the best of the bunch with their eclectic and colourful instrumental work. “Shiver” has a somewhat odd and unpredictable song structure that builds to a wonderful (but hardly over-the-top) climax towards the end, and “Spies” is a slightly more acoustically-driven track with verses that lead up to a fantastic, groovy and shimmering guitar hook before falling back into a quieter texture with some of Martin’s finest lyrics to date. Opener “Don’t Panic” and ballad “Sparks” are equally delightful, with just as much atmosphere but with a tad more minimalistic songwriting. “Trouble” and “We Never Change” are two more brilliant highlights, more vocally driven, with the former giving emphasis to the piano and the latter to the acoustic guitar. All of these songs are among the band’s best work and are essential listens for just about any fan.
Unfortunately, the album is brought down a notch or two due to a few tracks that interrupt its flow in the second half. “Yellow,” as mentioned before, is probably the most guilty of this with its heavier alternative rock sound that, while perfectly enjoyable, differs greatly from the atmosphere established by the opening four tracks. Closing track “Everything’s Not Lost” is also very stylistically different, with a more jazz and perhaps even blues-influenced sound, and while it’s also pulled off remarkably well it ends the album on a slightly confusing note. “High Speed,” while sounding a bit more like the six highlights than either of those two tracks, is brought down by its somewhat passive and unmemorable songwriting, and the incredibly short title track, while it is certainly a cute little acoustic song that would be very well suited to an electronic Valentine’s Day card, appears somewhat pointless and insignificant in the context of a full-length album.
Luckily, though, the flaws that bring Coldplay’s debut down from true greatness are not only forgivable, but they’re also perfectly understandable. The band was quite young here, and while their youthful experimentation resulted in a few missteps, it also, happily for us, resulted in some career highlights that their more dedicated fans will continue to return again and again in the years to come. I know for myself that “Shiver” and “Spies” will always be among the biggest staples in my Coldplay-listening sessions and I’m sure many other fans have soft spots for those as well as for “Don’t Panic,” “Sparks,” “Trouble” and “We Never Change.” And, undeniably, despite any claims to be made to the contrary, every single one of us will always have a fondness for “Yellow,” despite its bizarre tendency to always seem just a bit out of place.
Parachutes is the Coldplay that a lot of people miss, and it’s not hard to see just why that would be.
