ColdPlay, U2 without an Edge.

Coldplay are following Rock 101 - make sure you save your best album for 3rd or 4th. X&Y (their 3rd) is about to make ColdPlay one of the biggest bands in the world, if they are not already.

It's quite simply a gorgeous album and you'll probably hear it on all the soft rock stations, but what the phuck are you doing listening to, "WAVE 101" for anyway?

The great thing about the X&Y is you're that not always hearing that damn piano. If a band relies too much on one sound, they're Oasis.

"White Shadows" (track #3) may as well have been ripped off from U2. In fact, Chris Martin probably broke into Bono's house, when he was away in Africa saving the world, and rummaged through his drawers until he stumbled upon it...

Even the video for "Speed of Sound" is right from the U2 catalog. If you're going to be influenced by someone, it may as well be U2, and if it is, you better bring it. They certainly did. They've always been honest about their influences but they have nothing to hide, they take what they need and make the rest it their own.

The album is all about, fixing, trying, wishing and reaching... There's a constant push for hope throughout. Like a mother consoling her child after he's been kicked down. It fills you with reassurance.

"Fix You" is going to be their biggest single to date, it's stunning, it's, Bridge Over Troubled Water-Esque. "Till Kingdom Come" another well penned acoustic tune that Bono no doubt would have liked to have written himself.

They're building themselves into a serious band. There's not much out there, no great bands worth following because they usually break up after 3 years or they simply can't deliver anything past thier debut album. Coldplay now has 3 steady albums, each better than the next, let's hope they can keep it up; it'd be nice to see Chris in Africa fighting against AIDS one day.