Viva La Vida is not an experimental album. It's the Coldplay version of an experimental album. And while that might sound like a slight against them, it's important to note that Coldplay does one style very, very well. They don't often color outside the lines, and when they do they use a highlighter, tracing an extra halo around their perfectionism. So don't be fooled by their thrift store Sgt. Pepper costumes, Viva La Vida is nowhere near as unorthodox as they'd have you believe. Still, that doesn't mean it's not a stellar album. And as long as you don't expect to be blown away by the unexpected, then it remains one of Coldplay's most consistently enjoyable albums to date. The grandeur fits these songs better than it did those on X&Y, simply because the subject matter being tackled deserves it a little more. But it's not all pomp and circumstance, either. Tucked away in the splendor of it all are a couple of smaller moments that often go overlooked: "Strawberry Swing" is a simple little folk song gussied up with slick production, and the first couple minutes of "42" wouldn't sound out of place on Parachutes. And if nothing else, Coldplay proved they could still write a great, straightforward rock song with "Violet Hill."
