This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
You can’t spend your whole life moping around. Especially not when you’ve gone from total obscurity to worldwide fame and glory in two years like Coldplay have.
So, as is to be expected from four guys who probably have trouble wiping the smiles off their faces these days, the third album from these Britpop phenoms finds them in a slightly cheerier, more energetic frame of mind. A Rush Of Blood to The Head, while admittedly nowhere near as invigorating and disorienting as its title, is a decidedly lighter and brighter affair that often echoes the sound of recent U2 in its ringing guitar arpeggios, keening vocals, lightly pumping beats and earnest, anthemic choruses. Granted, on cuts like In My Place and Warning Sign, it’s the U2 of In A Little While or Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out of as opposed to, say, Elevation. But for Coldplay, that’s still the sound of a pretty beautiful day. Even better, a couple of tracks — like the dynamic Politik and the spry God Put A Smile Upon Your Face — come that close to actually rocking. All in all, that’s more than enough to put a smile on your face too.
