My Favorite Albums of 2011, Part I

The time has come for my last posts of the year, and they’re two posts I’ve been excited for a while to make. This year I’ve curated a list of my 19 favorite albums (yep, I know I said 15 earlier, but the times, they are a-changin’) of 2011, plus a few fine EPs I’ve loved the past 12 months as well. Because of the large number, I’ll be splitting it into two jam-packed posts. First off, a ground rule I set for myself: Each album on this list is one that I’ve listened to in its entirety at least once (and in pretty much every case, much more than once). This means that a few outstanding records regrettably got left off my list, because I haven’t been able to hear them completely (money and time issues are to blame). I’d like to highlight “American Road” by The Tierney Sutton Band, “The Gate” by Kurt Elling, “Helplessness Blues” by Fleet Foxes, and “Barton Hollow” by The Civil Wars as four albums that would be on this list had I the resources to have listened to them in depth by year’s end. (Hey, as you can see below and in the next post, I had a whopping 19 other albums to keep me occupied, along with tons and tons of other partial albums and individual songs to keep me company on iTunes.) Now, on to the first 9 entries in my favorite albums of 2011 list. Note that they are NOT ranked…choosing between music I love is pretty dang impossible for me, so there’s no way I would have been able to arrange these albums in any satisfactory way. The order isn’t exactly random, but where an album falls on the list means very little, aside from the fact that, y’know, I love it.

Vanessa Carlton — Rabbits on the Run

While many know Vanessa Carlton only as the girl who sang “A Thousand Miles,” I’ve loved her for a while for much more than that…I regard her sophomore album, “Harmonium,” as criminally underrated, and her somewhat experimental third album, “Heroes & Thieves,” as pretty nice as well. However, with “Rabbits on the Run,” Vanessa has unequivocally crafted her finest recording yet. Listening to the album, it feels like she’s finally found the artist she’s always wanted to be, giving us a collection of uniformly terrific, honest, engaging songs that never feel anything but genuine. “Rabbits on the Run” is the rare album in today’s world recorded on tape, and that production choice lends it a unique, intimate quality that enhances Vanessa’s voice and songwriting beautifully. The addition of a children’s choir on a few tracks is a perfect touch, as well. It’s a real treat from beginning to end, full of warmth, depth, and spirit, and it’s terrific to see that after years of wandering, Vanessa Carlton has finally discovered her musical home.

Peter Gabriel — New Blood

It’s hard to follow an album as ambitious as “Scratch My Back” (AKA a covers album of songs largely from this decade, performed only with a full-scale orchestra, sans drums), but with “New Blood,” Peter Gabriel has done more than just follow his previous work…he’s expanded on it. Using his own catalog this time instead of the work of others, Peter brings a new, stunning dimension to the songs of his past, creating timeless recordings that create a gorgeous new world for the listener. The arrangements, once again by master musician John Metcalfe (with some assistance by Gabriel himself), are superb and breathtaking. Guest artists Ane Brun (a sublimely haunting vocalist who sings in lieu of Kate Bush on “Don’t Give Up”) and Peter’s own daughter, Melanie (who sings a lovely duet with him on “Downside Up”) add immensely to the proceedings, providing background vocals throughout. “New Blood” is a tour-de-force recording that gets better and more rich with each and every listen.

Ellie Goulding — Lights (US release)

I’m kind of cheating with this album, because although it was released in the United States this year, I was already familiar with it before 2010 had ended. (It was released in the UK in March 2010, a full year before it bowed in America.) But I had to find a way to highlight this album somehow, so I’m exploiting the technicality for all it’s worth. With “Lights,” Ellie has created something altogether fresh and new, something that’s increasingly hard to do in the music world today. It’s hard to describe her music…the “folktronica” and indie pop labels would both fit here, but even then, they don’t even scratch the surface. Ellie’s voice is pure and beautifully fragile in the best ways, and her music is full of life. The songs on “Lights” are often ones you can dance to, but they have tons of emotional weight as well. Ellie Goulding has created a thoroughly engrossing debut album with a beat, but also with a beating heart.

Coldplay — Mylo Xyloto

Thanks to their huge level of success, Coldplay has become arguably one of the pop/rock world’s most polarizing bands. They have their legions of fans, but in a big way, it’s become ‘cool’ to hate them. By all accounts, this album should prove each and every one of those haters wrong. It’s in many ways a departure from their previous recordings (even the sonically expansive “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends”), and as a result, it feels like a new Coldplay in a few respects…but at the same time, the same group we’ve known and loved for years on end. It’s been billed by the band as sort of a concept album, and while the story isn’t always clear while listening, there’s an underlying, intangible narrative that shines brightly throughout. The songwriting is impeccable, the band is fully engaged, and while the music is often calm and serene, it’s anything but sleepy or lazy. It’s an album that takes a listen or two to start fully revealing its many treasures, but it’s also an album that’s more than worth the wait.

Laura Marling — A Creature I Don’t Know

Laura Marling could all too easily be an artist defined by novelty. She’s only 21 (a year older than I am, which never fails to boggle my mind), and already she’s won quite a few accolades, seemingly endless critical praise, and a huge amount of fan respect. Her music is outstanding, but what’s more, it goes beyond her age. Listening to “A Creature I Don’t Know,” you don’t think of Laura as a 21-year-old wunderkind…you think of her as a true musician. Her songs are beautifully mature, fearlessly witty, and bracingly introspective, and thought-provoking to boot. Her voice is wonderfully evocative, a rich instrument that paints thousands of pictures with just one note. With “A Creature I Don’t Know,” Laura has created a work of living, breathing art, one that just keeps giving and giving.

Sachal Vasandani — Hi-Fly

When most people think of jazz albums, “innovation” probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind. However, innovation is the key to great jazz music, and it’s a quality that rising star Sachal Vasandani displays in spades. He and his band (along with veteran musician John Clayton, who serves as producer on the album) come up with new takes on songs (and equally terrific original compositions) that are forward-thinking, engaging feats of reinvention. However, they don’t forget to include just as much emotional resonance. These songs hit home in the most powerful ways…whether they be in the form of a gorgeous cover of the late Amy Winehouse’s “Love Is A Losing Game,” or a rollicking duet on the classic song “One Mint Julep” with vocalese legend Jon Hendricks, or a heartstopping remembrance of the recent Japan tsunami with “Flood.” It’s music to think about, music to celebrate, and most of all, music that truly moves.

Brandi Carlile — Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony

Usually, live albums are a nice complement to an artist’s body of work, and in some cases can be quite good, but most of the time they usually don’t stand out on their own as something truly remarkable. Brandi Carlile’s live recording with the Seattle Symphony is, without question, an exception to that rule. Performing a great selection of her own material (along with a few great covers) with, as the title states, a symphony, her energy practically leaps off the headphones, speakers, or whatever you’re using to listen to the album. She’s full of fire (her voice sounds just as soaring out of the studio setting, if not more so) and brings a perfect balance of charm and mischievousness to the table. The orchestra adds a beautiful dimension to her already amazing songs, and with some of her onstage banter included as well, you’ll feel like you’re right there in the concert hall. Despite the fact that it’s a largely unadorned live recording, “Live at Benaroya Hall” stands as one of Brandi Carlile’s best albums.

Foster the People — Torches

They may be famous for the sneakily ubiquitous crossover hit “Pumped Up Kicks,” but on this album, Foster the People prove they’re no one-trick pony. “Torches” is a collection of pure pop gold, featuring track after track of endlessly infectious, insanely well-crafted music that’s the kind you want to get stuck in your head. It’s electronically driven, but it never feels pretentious or inauthentic, yet at the same it’s strikingly modern and inventive. Pumped-up kicks may be their calling card, but with “Torches,” Foster the People prove that effervescent, intoxicating songs with complexity and depth are most certainly their forte.

Adele — 21

Adele, seemingly out of nowhere, has become the artist that unites, that speaks, that touches. It’s harder to find someone who doesn’t like her music than someone who does, and the impact of her songs is widespread. (This is probably the first time in recent memory that pretty much every member of my family agrees on an album, for starters.) “21″ captures that universal quality. Sure, it has the now-megahits “Rolling In The Deep” and “Someone Like You.” Sure, it’s full of heartache, acceptance, regret, pain, tension, release. But what’s more, this album truly has something for everyone, something hidden carefully in its notes and melodies and lyrics and instrumentation that speaks to all, while at the same time never selling out, never cheapening its storytelling, its musicality, its utter brilliance. What Adele does with “21,” just as she so perfectly did with “19,” is achieve a perfect marriage between singer and song. She is the music, and that deep connection translates beautifully to the listener. She achieves the seemingly impossible…creating music for the masses that feels as personal as if she was singing straight to you.

Part II to come tomorrow, on New Year’s Eve. Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment, discuss, disagree, agree, and more below.

“The Sing-Off” Season 3, Episode 4 Recap: I Want You Back

Once again, I was unable to watch the show live this week, but watched it this morning (thanks again, Hulu!). Last week I was able to survive until Tuesday morning spoiler-free, but unfortunately last night, I was tipped off to the result of Monday night’s elimination not once, but twice. (I ‘like’ the eliminated group on Facebook, plus someone had made a certain spoiler-y search that led them to one of my posts, and I was checking my blog stats last night.) You can probably guess which group went home by now, but if you’re reading this, you either already know who it was, don’t care who it was, or are a spambot, so you have no capacity to feel anything about who it was, so there we go. I am in a (figurative) period of mourning right now, by the way. (If I happen to collapse in sorrow any time during this recap, feel free to revive me with the reminder that Afro-Blue, Vocal Point, Delilah, and a few more promising groups are still in the running. Or with Street Corner Symphony’s new album, which it turns out they’ve actually already made. Score!) Anyhow, since there were 12 performances once again on Monday night, I better get cracking. After a surprisingly good group rendition of “The Rhythm of Love” (although I like the song, I wasn’t expecting much out of the performance, but it definitely won me over), we started off the current hits round with…

• The Deltones (performing “The Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga): The Deltones continued to impress me last night with this opening performance. The arrangement was nice and replicated the synthesizer-driven vibe of Gaga’s original pretty nicely, and the solo was delivered exceptionally well (and when the soloist was completely sick, to boot…that takes major guts). Simply put, they nailed it. In retrospect, however, the Deltones may have a trend of delivering performances that are solid and very enjoyable, but in the long run, not the most memorable. They’re definitely outstanding…but can they keep up with the other groups when the brackets merge next week? It’ll be interesting to see.
• Pentatonix (performing “Your Love Is My Drug” by Ke$ha): (So it may have taken me about 5 tries to get Ke$ha’s name right. Although I despise her music, it’s kind of fun trying to type her dollar sign-encrusted moniker. ) Just like last week where I finally caught on to Urban Method, I think I might have jumped (very gingerly, mind you) onto the Pentatonix train, and this performance was a key factor in that. They turned an unbearably lightweight pop song into something nuanced and fascinating, full of energy, some great harmonies, and a lot of daring reinvention. It all just worked…and then when they introduced some studio-esque effects in the latter part of the song…I. Was. Floored. I may still be hung up on the male lead singer (his mannerisms tend to bug me), and they’re not my absolute favorite group by any means, but I’m excited to see what Pentatonix comes up with in the weeks ahead, and their innovative, stylized approach to their arrangements might be just what the doctor ordered.
• The Collective (performing “Rocketeer” by Far East Movement): I’ve never heard this song before, to be honest, so I may be looking at this performance from a different viewpoint than those who have. That said, I really enjoyed it, and it was a clear step up for The Collective from last week’s fine, but somewhat uneven take on “Rolling In The Deep.” Their blend was improved, the arrangement was more ear-catching, and they seemed much more cohesive as a group. Rachael was also a stellar soloist (and like the soloist for The Deltones, was sick, this time with laryngitis…my mind, it boggles at how well she was able to pull it off in that condition), and kept the song jamming. It was a nice progression for the Collective, and proof that they just may have what it takes to go far in this competition.
• North Shore (performing “The Lazy Song” by Bruno Mars): Much like the conceptually similar group Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town last season, I’m beginning to get a “they’re great! but can they win?” feeling about North Shore. They’re clearly old pros, and they’re a joy to watch and to hear. But can they compete against all these young, innovative groups? And would a recording contract on a national stage be the best fit for them? These are questions that are going to keep nagging me, and while I really love North Shore’s old-school approach, it may end up hurting them in the long run. Anyways, these 5 Boston guys did a fine job with this Bruno Mars song, complete with some cheeky choreography and a winning solo. It was definitely a treat.
• Dartmouth Aires (performing “Animal” by Neon Trees): Sigh. That’s all I have to say. OK, not really…I have a bit more to say than that…but an exasperated sigh would cover my feelings about the Aires quite nicely. They’re just not grabbing me. It is possible for me to enjoy a college group (before you shout that apparently it’s only possible if they’re from the school I go to, as was/is the case with Noteworthy and Vocal Point, I did like On The Rocks last season, though I felt they stayed an episode or so too long), but the Dartmouth Aires simply isn’t that college group. Their rehearsal segments…and their performances for that matter…always make it seem like they’re trying too hard to be ‘goofy,’ but don’t have the natural charm to hide that excessive effort. The choreography they use is somewhat fun at times, but in other places it just gets plain awkward. Their sound is a bit disjointed, probably due to the large numbers. It doesn’t seem like they’ve paid enough attention to their blend, and while it’s not horrible by any means, it could be much cleaner, and that would add to the overall quality of the performance. Sure, the judges may say they’re fun and energetic…but fun and energy only carry you so far (especially when the ‘fun’ and ‘energy’ isn’t quite there for some people). Musical artistry needs to come along with it too, and the Dartmouth Aires simply don’t have that at present.
• Sonos (performing “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay): I think that “Viva la Vida” is cursed on “The Sing-Off.” (If you couldn’t tell who got eliminated by my comments at the beginning, you can probably tell by now…sniffle.) Noteworthy got bumped off the night they sang it in Season 1, and, well, you saw what happened Monday night for Sonos. (More on that later, if I have the strength.) I thought this was a great, intriguing take on Coldplay’s massive hit, full of deliciously intricate harmonies and some nice surprises. Ben’s beatboxing, as was the case last time Sonos performed, really stood out for me…he was churning out cool effects and tricks like they were going out of style, and at one point he did this really cool heartbeat-type thing that I really loved. Chris was excellent on the solo, and I thought the trio of girls backing him (including one of them on bass) held up very well. I do get the judges’ sentiments in that the group would do better with another male singer (I realized last week that they actually had one, but he left Sonos about a year ago) to round out their sound, but what they have right now is excellent, and I think they do more than just ‘get by.’ They push new boundaries and open new doors for the a cappella world.

Now, on to the 60s classics round (how funny was it that Nick plugged “The Playboy Club” a week after it was axed by NBC? This is what happens when you tape in late summer and don’t take into account that new NBC shows are often doomed):

• Pentatonix (performing “Piece of My Heart” by Janis Joplin): On paper, putting a rock classic to an a cappella reggae-driven beat seems ridiculous. Even thinking about Pentatonix’s take on this Joplin chestnut now, it seems ridiculous. But somehow, they pulled it off…their arrangement was peppy and effective, but they made sure not to let the song veer into parody or get too sweet. It was a daring choice, and I think it paid off, though it didn’t hit me as hard as “Your Love Is My Drug” did. (I never thought I would ever be typing that last phrase…the things “The Sing-Off” makes me do.)
• The Deltones (performing “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes): A tiny bit seemed like it was missing from this performance…the soloist didn’t quite sell it all the way, and the arrangement wasn’t as inventive as I would have liked…but I still thought the Deltones did a great job here. It’s a song you can’t really go wrong with in an a cappella setting when you play your cards right, and the group certainly didn’t get it wrong here.
• North Shore (performing “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers): I agreed with the judges that North Shore showed a few pitch problems here and there (for pretty much the first time this competition, to boot), and I also agreed with them that those issues didn’t really get in the way of a fine performance. If I had any noticeable problem with this, it would be that the group stuck to the original to a T, which was great because the original is a classic for a reason…but it made the arrangement feel kind of static. It kept it from moving to “very good” to “great” at a few moments, and that’s a shame for a group as talented as North Shore is.
• The Collective (performing “Hold On, I’m Comin’” by Sam & Dave): This is a very repetitive song, so I wasn’t sure if the Collective could make it a bit more interesting, but then again Urban Method rocked it with the also very redundant “Dance To The Music,” so I saw as it as quite possible for the group to bring some new life to the song in an a cappella setting. They did…and they didn’t. I didn’t think the first half of the performance was as tentative as the judges did, but I do agree that they really kicked it off in the latter half. It was almost as if someone flicked a switch and out came all the Collective’s pent-up energy, all at once. They were throwing all kinds of stuff at us (an impressive out-of-nowhere falsetto howl, lots of sound and lots of riffing), and surprisingly, it was working. If they can harness the pure craziness they unleashed at the end of this song into future performances…I’m definitely all ears.
• Sonos (performing “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5): I was very familiar with this particular arrangement of the song already, as it’s a prominent feature of Sonos’ debut album. I have to admit it didn’t come off as well on stage as it did on recording (the fact that they’re one member short can’t help matters), and the cuts they had to make to trim it down to two minutes were brutal on the slow, deliciously deliberate build that their take on the song requires. That aside, I think they did a beautiful job turning this song on its ear, and I thought the judges were off the mark by saying it was too bold and too much of a change-up. Would it have been fun to hear a more straightforward take on the song? Sure it would have. But I don’t think Sonos’ radical reharmonization of the tune hurt it in any way. On the contrary, it showcased an entire different aspect of the song (its heartbreak and longing), and brought out some really intriguing elements that never would have come to light had they gone more traditional. There were pitch problems, sure, and the performance didn’t quite shake out the way it should have, but I thought Sonos did a terrific job turning this Jackson 5 classic on its ear, and it’s a disappointment that the judges didn’t feel the same way.
• Dartmouth Aires (performing “Pinball Wizard” by…who? The Who, that’s who): Let’s get the positives out of the way first. The choreography was impressive. (That pinball-machine effect they did in the middle was, I have to admit, a very cool effect.) The energy was there and consistent. The solo wasn’t half-bad. Now, my nitpicking…the blend still wasn’t cohesive. The sound felt disorganized. Once again, it coasted more on pretentious ‘goofiness’ than actual, natural, easygoing charm. You know the drill…it just didn’t connect with me. It was good, but nowhere, nowhere near great. And that is going to be a major problem for the Aires going forward, especially next week when they play with the big boys (and girls) and the separate brackets are no more.
• By now, you’ve deduced who went home, whether by watching the show, reading other articles scattered across the Internet, or seeing my many lamentations during this recap that…Sonos was eliminated. This I already knew while watching this morning, but that didn’t make things any less difficult to swallow. They’re blazing new trails in a cappella music, I think, and I know they can still do so even outside “The Sing-Off” venue. I saw an Internet comment today (from a Sonos fan) to the effect that this might have not been the best outlet for them. Although I absolutely loved seeing them perform on the show, I kind of have to agree. They can now go back to their pioneering use of effects pedals (which, it should be clearly noted, are NOT used to hide any pitch issues or blend problems, as effects pedals would simply maximize those, but are instead used to augment their sound, explore new sonic palettes, and overall make each of their performances strikingly unique and innovative), and hopefully they have the resources in the future to keep making outstanding records. I’ll be there to buy each and every one of them.
• One more thing…there’s been a lot of talk that Shawn Stockman was reacting in pain to Sonos’ swan song of “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday,” a Boyz II Men staple. I didn’t know until afterwards that it was a song by his group, so out of context it looked like he was emotional in some way…like sad to see Sonos go. Looking back at his reaction in context, it seems to be a combination of him being amused and a bit surprised to hear that they used a Boyz II Men song, with maybe a tiny undercurrent of being disappointed that Sonos was leaving. (And OK, I guess he may have thought they were a little pitchy. But seriously, do you think he’d really cringe at any group’s farewell performance? He’s classier than that, I think.)

So I was actually mistaken last week, and next episode we see all 10 remaining groups come together. In another stab-in-the-dark guess at how the format plays out the next little while, I’m thinking that they’ll eliminate 2 groups per week for at least the next 2 or 3 weeks, since they’re due to finish airing at the end of November. We’ll see if that actually occurs. For now, a farewell to you, until I hopefully unleash a horde of long-gestating non-”Sing-Off” posts and/or return with next week’s recap, and as always, a poll. Thanks for reading!

 

Sketches: Yellow

My first Sketches (AKA the part where I blog about something random and music-related, in an informal fashion) post in a while, beginning with a video:

As I might have stated on this blog before, I’m a HUGE covers guy. One of my favorite types of music to look for is that of one artist covering another artist’s song (preferably one that I know). So when I saw this video of Sara Bareilles singing “Yellow” (the early Coldplay hit) on my YouTube homepage the past week or so (one of the handful of random YouTube subscribers I have…or something…had “liked” the video), and a few nights ago I had some time to watch it, I was expecting something nice…Sara Bareilles is one of my favorite artists, and “Yellow” is a beautiful song. I had a feeling she’d do a good job with it.

My expectations were modest ranging to fairly high…and yet I was still blown away. It was simple, heartfelt, breathtaking, and…it just felt special. I listen to a lot of great covers all the time, but for some reason this one stood out.

I’ve been thinking since then about why in particular it had such an effect on me. Music certainly isn’t a mindless endeavor for me…I mean, hello, I have a blog dedicated to it…and I do think about what I listen to a lot, but I think a lot of times it’s subconscious. Anyways, one of the things that really struck me about her version of the song was how the vocal seemed to come from the heart. Yes, that’s a quality I see a lot of good musicians have…soulful vocals that aren’t just words and notes, but truth and expression. (It’s also a quality I’m trying to work on myself as a musician. Right now, I often feel I sing too much like a robot. ) But it’s a quality that should be treasured, and Sara really let me as a listener (and viewer, in the case of this video) that this song truly meant something to her. (The little anecdote at the beginning, about how the record that “Yellow” comes from…AKA “Parachute” by Coldplay…meant a lot to her during her time studying abroad, helped hit home that aspect.)

Something else that really hit me hard was the simplicity of the arrangement. The piano line essentially consists of only driving quarter-note chords…throughout the entire 4-minute song. Of course the chords change, and Sara builds some stuff in the left hand as the song progresses, and the dynamic rises and falls as it needs to…but it’s pretty bare-bones stuff. Yet, rather than make the performance feel flat or empty…it makes it stronger. It builds beautifully, and the fact that someone can do that with just a piano and their voice…wow.

Simplicity. I think that’s something that sometimes gets taken for granted in music. In fact, sometimes it even goes unappreciated. An example: Katelyn Epperly on the “American Idol” semifinals last season (embedded below).  Her performance of, coincidentally, another Coldplay song (in this case “The Scientist”) was very similar to Sara’s…slow, deliberate, driven by a very simple piano part…and just as powerful and meaningful. It didn’t go over entirely well (the judges were lukewarm; she was voted off the show just a week later), and I’m still not quite sure why. Simplicity, with the right song and the right artist, can bring a song to life, and that’s what Sara and Katelyn both did. Now, you just can’t go to the piano, sing a song, and call it great music. Not every tune works with that treatment, and of course, if an artist was to try to make a career out of just that, they wouldn’t get much of anywhere artistically (not to mention commercially, but that’s a whole other story). But when it’s done right, it’s almost like magic. (Sorry to use a bit of a cliche, but that comparison feels pretty accurate to me. And J.K. Rowling. ) It’s a haunting effect, and one that helps make music great.

K, so hopefully I didn’t get too preachy/rambly/pointless. (Let me know in the comments if any of those sentiments occurred. ) In other Harmony Avenue news…my Grammy predictions were kind of off. But I got some of them right. P.S., I’m still riding a huge, huge high off the Grammy wins of Esperanza Spalding and Arcade Fire, among others. The fact that those two were able to win in those incredibly competitive, high-profile categories is a huge step forward for music in my eyes. I think I might be doing an Artist Spotlight on Esperanza in the near-future, so stay tuned for that. (I’ve absolutely loved her music for a while, and the Grammy nom and subsequent win helped remind me how terrific she is.) Thanks for reading, make sure to subscribe, and I’ll see you later on in the week with yet again more blogging and more music.

Music Video of the Day: “Christmas Lights”

Howdy once again, Harmony Avenue readers. Rather than a Song of the Day today, I’m going to step it up a bit and do a Music Video of the Day. This is also a little preview of the holiday-tastic goodness I’ll hopefully be diving into later this month. Today, take a gander at the lovely video for…

“Christmas Lights,” by Coldplay!

I’m a huge Coldplay fan, and I’ve stayed that way for years. I love X&Y AND Viva la Vida (a rarity, yes?), and all their other albums to boot. They just keep putting out such beautiful, engaging, well-crafted songs. They definitely don’t deserve all the hate piled upon them for supposedly being a subpar/mediocre/middling band. Anyways, I was excited to hear their new single for the Christmas season, “Christmas Lights.” It certainly didn’t disappoint…it’s a subtly, simply gorgeous song, and the lyrics are a lovely balance between the sadness and hope found in the winter months. But if it was only just a terrific song, I wouldn’t be showing you the music video, would I? The video clip that goes with this song is quirky (Coldplay has become a little delightfully random lately, probably because they’re British and have been together for so long), beautifully shot, and with a really cool progression. The shining lights on the trees…the moving cardboard cutouts in the back (look for what happens to the fish midway through)…the somewhat inexplicable but totally fun string players/Elvis impersonators in the background (the words on top of wooden stage Coldplay performs on also have a connection to this)…a stunning view of the Thames at night (I really want to visit London)…and the soaring touch of a group of fans on the boat chiming along in the video (my favorite part). It’s just a wonderful, soaring, optimstic video, paired with a great song to match. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it’s a great way to ring in the holiday season. Enjoy!