After re-reading my debut post (see below if you somehow missed it, Interweb), I find that I disagree with my musical selection, thus reaffirming my tastes are always changing. (Have I told you that we begin repainting our family room this weekend. The family room we painted back in November when we first moved in?) Fleet Foxes should have totally been on my top-10 list. Guess that just pushes Coldplay further down into oblivion–suck it, Christopher Martin! Sorry, that wasn’t very lady-like.

Here’s to another 6+ months of blogging silence,

Elizabeth

10. Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping
9. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
8. Anathallo – Canopy Glow
7. Girl Talk – Night Ripper
6. Ray Lamontagne – Gossip in the Grain
5. The Welcome Wagon – Welcome to the Welcome Wagon
4. Sigur Ros – Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spillum Endalaust (With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly)
3. Vampire Weekend – Self-titled
2. Tilly and the Wall – “O”
1. Kanye West – 808s and Heartbreaks

Honorable Mentions: M83, Saturdays = Youth; Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago; Ben Folds, Way to Normal

Post Script // Why Viva La Vida didn’t quite cut it

I realize this may anger some of you, as avid Coldplay suppoters and Chris Martin lovers, but I don’t care. I’m going to say what I’m going to say. (Shoutout to Patty: This is not a personal slight.)

Is Coldplay really that great? No.

While their latest effort is arguably the best, much thanks to producer Brian Eno, Chris Martin’s attempt at lyrics is so bad and unoriginal it makes Lil’ Wayne’s lollipop taste even sweeter.

Why? Because we’ve heard about love for the majority of each Coldplay album; while I’m sure life with Gwyneth is fantastic and magical, there must be something else Martin can focus on. Something other than love for a muse. To top it all off, his illustrations of love are hackneyed–at best.

From “Yellow” we have: Look at the stars / Look how they shine for you / And everything you do / Yeah, they were all yellow. I came along / I wrote a song for you / And all the things you do / And it was called yellow

“Don’t Panic” is 75%: We live in a beautiful world  / Yeah we do  / Yeah we do

The infamous “Fix You” is probably Chris Martin at his prime, which is ironically his worst: When you try your best, but you don’t succeed / When you get what you want, but not what you need / When you feel so tired, but you can’t sleep / Stuck in reverse … And the tears come streaming down your face / When you lose something you can’t replace / When you love someone but it goes to waste / Could it be worse?

Martin’s newest attempts refer to being a big fish in a little pond and that we haven’t quite “won” because along might come a “bigger one.”

And “Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love” isn’t much better. We’re told to keep on the road we’re already on, that runners should run until the race is run and soldiers must “soldier on.”

Really? Really really?

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Perhaps. I’m not saying Coldplay’s album is awful–I’ll admit to owning it and yes, enjoying it. But should it make any top-10 list? NO.