Viva la vida

The new album by Coldplay - have been hearing since about 5 days now.

You can feel the band's obsession over the details they have put into this. This is a different album as the tone is a bit dark, the guitars are played roughly & heavily - definitely a bold effort by the band but it has paid off every bit - the bar has truly been raised!

You can feel the difference in the songs - for e.g "Yes!" which has odd tunes and Chris's rough voice. The title - "Viva la vida" starts off beautifully and you know hearing the title song - that this album is here to make the difference and top the charts even before you hear all the songs.

Chris Martin and the entire band has done an incredible job with the new album and I am very happy about this fact :). The instrumental -"Life in technicolor" is melodious along with "Strawberry Swing". Also I can feel the ethnic tabla / tribal drums in the song "Lost" - which is beautiful, but I still prefer the bonus track Lost (acoustic) version- where there is absolutely nothing besides the piano playing with Chris Martin singing.

You might call me biased for my fav band - but I still give them a 9 / 10 and there are good reasons for this.

I like the entire album, but to pick my top 3 songs - here they go:

* Viva la vida
* Lost
* Life in technicolor

I hope I can somehow arrange my schedule and manage to watch them live in the upcoming tour with some uncertainty that lies ahead of me as just over 2 months are left in Swiss land.

Measure of a man

These battered hands are all you own
This broken heart just turned to stone
Go hang your glory on the wall
There comes a time when castles fall
And all that's left is shifting in the sand

You're out of time, you're out of place
Look at your face
That's the measure of a man

This coat that fits you like a glove
These dirty streets you learned to love
So welcome back my long lost friend
You've been to hands and back again
And God alone knows how you crossed that span

Back on the beat, back to the start
Trust in your heart
That's the measure of a man

It's the fire in the eyes, the lines on the hand
It's the things you understand
Permanent ties from which you once ran
That's the measure of a man

You've come full circle, now you're home
Without the gold, without the chrome
And this is where you've always been
You had to lose so you could win
And rise above your troubles while you can

Now you can love, now you can lose
Now you can choose
That's the measure of a man