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Coldplay create sparse, emotional soundscapes, dripping with melancholy. The London-based quartet is singer Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion. Their debut album, Parachutes, was released in late 2000 in the U.S., and they quickly became a sensation. The record went No. 1 in the U.K. charts and won Best Alternative Music Album at the 2002 Grammys. Marked by Martin's falsetto-happy vocals, songs like "Yellow" and "Shiver" employ stop/start dynamics that allow serene verses to build to a crescendo, centering on the well-trodden theme of love. Sophomore effort A Rush of Blood to the Head took home two Grammys and earned a spot on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. Hits "Clocks" and "In My Place" were wistful and romantic, labeled by some as radio-friendly Radiohead. The group's third album, XandY, became the best-selling album of 2005, and "Speed of Sound" topped the year's charts worldwide. But critics were less enthusiastic: a railing review in the The New York Times accused the lyrics of being nonsensical drivel. Coldplay's fourth album -- produced by Brian Eno -- is slated for release in 2008.
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