Coldplay ARoBTTH VS Interpol TOTBL - Music

DommeDamian
Imperfect, sensitive Aspie with a melody addiction

Gender: Male
Age: 23
Location: where the flowers grow.

Both atmospherically incredible albums, released in 2002. Band name's one word, and title name's multiple one-syllables.
I personally have to go with Coldplay, since I feel Chris Martin is a better vocalist, writes sublime songs, and the album is more dense to listen to from start to finish. But what do y'all think?

PS: Fuck Pitchfork who gave Coldplay a 5.1, yet Interpol deservedly a 9.5 Brick wall

Last edited by DommeDamian on 10/02/2018 06:24; edited 1 time in total

Yann

Gender: Male
Location: France

Coldplay's songwriting is vastly superior, but Interpol has a very nice neo-cold wave sound, and a very good singer too. Imagine him singing the Coldplay album.. could be nice!
(Interpol songwriting improved a lot on their excellent second album : Antics)

travelful
BEA's Official Florida Man

Age: 27
Location: Davenport, Florida

I wouldn't consider myself a fan of either group, but if I were offered a free copy of either album I think I'd choose Coldplay's.

Tha1ChiefRocka
Yeah, well hey, I'm really sorry.

Location: Kansas

Interpol, and it's not even close.

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Interpol's Turn on the Bright Lights quite easily -- by a pretty wide margin. Coldplay's Rush of Blood is "okay" but pales in comparison to albums like Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden, Laughing Stock, even U2s Joshua Tree or Radiohead's best...

Of course, Interpol are a pretty far cry from The Velvet Underground & Nico or The Doors and are a notch or so below Joy Division's best. But Turn On the Bright Lights has a lot more atmosphere and is much more emotionally resonant than Coldplay. Coldplay's vocalist is rather flat/emotionally anemic, with arrangements that are okay but not especially inspired or creative -- mildy interesting in the grand scheme of things.
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DommeDamian
Imperfect, sensitive Aspie with a melody addiction

Gender: Male
Age: 23
Location: where the flowers grow.

AfterHours wrote:

Coldplay's vocalist is rather flat/emotionally anemic, with arrangements that are okay but not especially inspired or creative [...]

I have to disagree here - the closing track, Amsterdam, still gives me goosebumps, just how Chris sings with that emotional draining in his voice, expressing the lyrics, the most gloomy way possible. Embarassed

I do not see how he sings flat at all (...well maybe some of their later works like Mylo Xyloto, but that album's mediocre).

Turn On The Bright Lights is wildly and atmospheric, whereas A Rush of Blood To The Head is winding, smartly catchy, and atmospheric. And I agree that Coldplay is like a son in comparison with our great Radiohead, but so is Interpol imo.
Also, Coldplay's album is way more consistent as varied experience, while Interpol reveals the exact same STELLAR songwriting went into almost every single song.

Ftr, I never liked TVU&N though. Anxious

So I would say Turn On The Bright Lights is better than that, for me...

Last edited by DommeDamian on 12/16/2018 11:18; edited 2 times in total

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

raadfactoryxny wrote:

I have to disagree here - the closing track, Amsterdam, still gives me goosebumps, just how Chris sings with that emotional draining in his voice, expressing the lyrics, the most gloomy way possible. Embarassed

I do not see how he sings flat at all (...well maybe some of their later works like Mylo Xyloto, but that album's mediocre).

Turn On The Bright Lights is wildly and atmospheric, whereas A Rush of Blood To The Head is winding, smartly catchy, and atmospheric. And I agree that Coldplay is like a son in comparison with our great Radiohead, but so is Interpol imo.
Also, Coldplay's album is way more consistent as varied experience, while Interpol reveals the exact same STELLAR songwriting went into almost every single song.

Ftr, I never like TVU&N though. Anxious

So I would say Turn On The Bright Lights is better for me...

No worries -- Coldplay is so status quo and so middle ground to me I dont have much conviction in discussing them or even defending my position much. Rush of Blood is a solid album (Clocks easily being their best song, Politik and Scientist maybe next...). There has just been so much music throughout history (Classical, Rock, Jazz including subgenres and offshoots) that is just way more amazing (much more profound, powerful, moving, affecting, etc). Even just those I mentioned above in (somewhat careless) comparison. But thats only scratching the surface.

As a vocalist, Martin doesnt hold a candle (especially) to the likes of Mark Hollis, Tim Buckley, Van Morrison, Robert Wyatt... or even Thom Yorke and Bono ... to name some (all more affecting and impinging when delivering similar emotions/expressions as Martin)

VU and Nico is a whole other convo Smile

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DommeDamian
Imperfect, sensitive Aspie with a melody addiction

Gender: Male
Age: 23
Location: where the flowers grow.

AfterHours wrote:

No worries -- Coldplay is so status quo and so middle ground to me I dont have much conviction in discussing them or even defending my position much. Rush of Blood is a solid album (Clocks easily being their best song, Politik and Scientist maybe next...). There has just been so much music throughout history (Classical, Rock, Jazz including subgenres and offshoots) that is just way more amazing (much more profound, powerful, moving, affecting, etc). Even just those I mentioned above in (somewhat careless) comparison. But thats only scratching the surface.

As a vocalist, Martin doesnt hold a candle (especially) to the likes of Mark Hollis, Tim Buckley, Van Morrison, Robert Wyatt... or even Thom Yorke and Bono ... to name some (all more affecting and impinging when delivering similar emotions/expressions as Martin)

"There has just been so much music throughout history that is just way more amazing" that's pretty opinionated, and Coldplay's first three albums, is classic in mine.

As the vocalists you mention, I'd firstly say that Mark Hollis has an amazing voice, but periodically doesn't really hit me emotionally, not as much as Chris's more humble approached layers, textured in his. I'm definitely gonna listen to Talk Talk some more Smile

Secondly, if you ask me, Tim's son Jeff, topped him. And Chris sings nonetheless just as angel-like as Jeff Buckley. Maybe not with the same range or power, but that does not make it necessarily worse. Another Jeff, mr. Mangum, doesn't hold a candle even to the like of Chris Martin, but who cares, it's still topnotch to feel. Think

Van Morrison's music is not really my kind, so I would not give my take on him. Same that I have not a full Robert Wyatt record yet.
Thom Yorke, I would say, is the best one, outta the bunch of singers you named. His voice, and him as an artist and member of my favorite band, is something I cannot say enough good things about. Surprised

Bono is another discussion, since he doesn't sing the same kinda style, but imo Chris delivers much more qualifying brightness and heartful sensitivity in his voice, than Bono's. Especially if we're talking about our current state of both singers. Don't get me wrong, I still like U2.

Skinny
birdman_handrub.gif

Both bad.
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DommeDamian
Imperfect, sensitive Aspie with a melody addiction

Gender: Male
Age: 23
Location: where the flowers grow.

Skinny wrote:

Both bad.

More like, both not your type... Think