Coldplay - Why?

This entry is a bit of a rant, but bear with me. With the 'exciting' news that there is a new Coldplay album out, I'm asking myself a question I've asked before, "Why does anyone care?" This is a bit different from what I posted a couple of weeks ago about Hot Chip. I see that those guys have talent and I see a niche they are filling. But Coldplay?

At this point, I'm ready to start making Yanni comparisons. Or perphaps Michael Bolton is more appropriate. Whiny, listless, lifeless music that seems written for elevators. That's how every single Coldplay track comes across to me.

I've heard people say, 'oh but they're like U2'. Um, no, sorry, not buying it. Go listen to "I Will Follow" or "Bullet the Blue Sky" or hell, even "Vertigo" and try making that comparison again. If Martin's voice hits any of the same inflections or tones as Bono's, it's coincidental. And let's not even get into comparisons with Edge or the rest of the band.

Coldplay represents everything wrong in mainstream rock right now. A major label act with tons of money in its marketing campaign. They siddle up with the 'indie' crowd for some kind of cred, but their music is so safe and generic that it should have been born and died on an easy listening station.

The only reason I'm so riled up is that with this new album out, I'm going to have to read, watch and listen to a lot of coldplay in the coming months. I'll do my best to avoid it. At this point though, avoiding Coldplay is going to be like avoiding McDonald's and Starbucks.


Please feel free to counter my arguements here. Or share my loathing.

Oh one last thing for your pain/pleasure: