On their first few albums, Coldplay was a band that sounded like Radiohead (pre-OK Computer) but wanted to be U2. On Viva La Vida, Coldplay is a band that sounds like U2 but wants to be Radiohead (post-OK Computer).

Though they have a proven knack for emotionally resonant arena rock, they’ve opted to get “artistic” instead. And by artistic, I mean they’ve largely thrown aside such quaint concepts as melodies, choruses and intelligible vocals.

To be fair, that criticism applies to about two-thirds of the album. The rest is made up of a pretty solid group of songs, though nothing approaching their best work on A Rush of Blood to the Head. ‘Lovers in Japan’ sounds so much like U2 that it might be a U2 track slipped in here to see if anybody would notice, but it’s a standout. And the best song here is the title track, which sounds a lot like every other great song Coldplay has recorded.

Sometimes it’s just fine for artists to stick to what they do best. Even U2 took an ill-advised detour into electronica before learning that lesson. Chris Martin should stop worrying about being known more for his tabloid appearances and Top 40 hits than his artistic importance. Since when is it a bad thing to be simply a great rock band?