A couple of years back I had all but given up hope for modern music. It seemed that all that was out there was rap, over-distorted rock, and cookie cutter lyrics. I now have gigabytes upon gigabytes of modern music. Coldplay was my gateway band, and this was the first album of theirs I ever owned. I love their use of piano, and Chris Martin's falsetto is mesmerizing. Clocks and The Scientist are standouts for me on this album, but every song is worth repeated listening. I strongly recommend this album, and this band.

The often reviled mega-seller's sophomore release upped the volume and proved to bitter critics and music snobs alike how intuitive touch and expansive production elevates simplistic songwriting to earnest levels.

One of my favorites songs is Clocks and that's the only song that I'm really crazy about the most. Cold Play knows how to really putout other great songs besides Clocks.

It may not transcend Parachutes, but this is a very decent sophomore effort. Sure it's mopey; sure it's resigned. That's the whole point. The question then becomes, how well does it achieve its goal to mope you out? Well, as it turns out it's pretty damn effective in that department.

Most of the songs are mid-tempo, with lots of dynamic shifts and volume-tweaking. Coldplay have been criticized as being Radiohead Lite (for one thing) but that isn't really true. Coldplay is a lot more melodic than Radiohead; more conventionally "pretty." While that may sound like proof of the very charge, I think the comparison is made more for the quality and timbre of Chris Martin's voice. The similarity to Thom Yorke's voice is sometimes uncanny.

There are some problems, though. Sequencing "Daylight" immediately after the beautiful, shimmering "Clocks" was a mistake as although they are structurally different they have virtually identical rhythms. Great songs both, particularly the former, but a little close for comfort. Another problem (not a serious one, however) is the pacing of the rest of the album. As I said, most of the songs are mid tempo and some ("Green Eyes," "Warning Sign," "In My Place") even have a quasi-country lilt to them which is nice, but there's a certain sameness that gets to be distracting: instead of just losing yourself in the lushness of it all, you might find yourself critiquing it instead. Like here.

But when it's good, A RUSH is great. "Clocks," "A Whisper" (particularly the coda), "God Put A Smile On Your Face" are all required listening . . . in fact, nothing on this album is anything less than very good. Oddly, however, I find the title track to be the weakest of the bunch, mainly because of its length (nearly six minutes).

So, I keep coming back to this album - - more so than to the debut. I didn't like it much at first. But there's a certain closeness to it - - a certain confessional quality I find compelling. So . . . I guess it transcends PARACHUTES after all.

This album definitely resides on my list of music I can listen to anytime.  Although thought by many to be trying to replicate U2, I personally never made any connection between the two (and I'm also a fan of U2 so I'm very familiar with their music as well)

I was given this album as a gift three years ago and while it was new to me I immediately noticed that the lead vocalist had no idea of how to break away from singing very "clunkily" in syllables...to every song!!!
I haven't read all the reviews to this album (would take days) but wonder if he annoys anyone else as much as he annoys me?

Don't care what people say about Coldplay, they are incredible songwriters. This is one of the best albums ever made. That's it.

www.mypoproks.com

They try, but they fail, at being U2.

Best album so far ..... "In My Place" i love that song !!!!!

Boring, safe music. Not for me.

Coldplay are the U2 for people scared of loud guitars and anything that remotely breaks sweat. Alternatively they are the male band equivalent of Dido which is about as damning as I can get.

Coldplay is boring, and the fact that the next CD is inspired by Jay-Z, it will be even worse.

Coldplay: for people that think Radiohead isn't catchy enogh.

not great 2 stars

Haunting, entrancing, this album is better than their first. A great set to chill out to.

A second smash album from Coldplay (the first being Parachutes) Beautiful lyrics (for example Warning Sign 'Come on in, I've got to tell you what a state I'm in, I've got to tell you in my loudest tone, I started looking for a warning sign, and the truth is - I miss you, I miss you so') which is where you get a haunting guitar and cello creeping in. If you think that Coldplay lack emotion, listen again. Their songs are wistful, longing, upset and highly emotional. Best times to listen to them is when you want to chill out or you feel upset about something and you need to let it out. They are just simply beautiful and its definately worth having in your music collection.

this cd is genius. mllelarisa, jorganvonstingle, and latinasexy...right on! wrecked-gar, you're a frickin' idiot. passion for people who have yet to feel emotion?!?!? do you even know what emotion is?

Frickin' BRILLIANT!!! I listen to this almost exclusively since I bought it in July. One of the best albums I've ever heard by anyone. I wasn't even a Coldplay fan before I got it... I was blown away how fantastic this album is. Don't miss it! "Warning Sign" and "Amsterdam" are my favourites, though the entire album rocks.

Coldplay are like passion for people who have yet to feel any extreme of emotion. Better than the last album, but so was my recent migraine.

Just a great CD. There are so many styles to it, so many emotions. There's regret, happiness, anger, Coldplay has just outdone themselves with this one. I love Clocks, In My Place, and God Put a Smile on My Face. But the best song had to be The Scientist. It is a slower song with a great beat, and just excellent lyrics. If you see this CD just grab it right off the shelf. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.

Saw Coldplay at a live music festival over here in Europe,strung out on E.Incredible!Great tracks on this album,well worth a listen.

Wow. This album is amazing. Everything about it is just so moving, so passionate, so powerful. One of the best albums of 2002.

liked their first cd better but interesting live