It's been three years since Coldplay's X&Y didn't garner nearly as much goodwill as their first two efforts, prompting many to suggest that the U.K. foursome's reign of Radiohead-lite chart-toppers was petering out. After a long hiatus to take on various social and political causes, falsetto-rocking frontman Chris Martin started to appear on hip-hop singles, of all places. He graced Swizz Beatz' debut, Jay-Z's comeback album and is currently all over the airwaves on Kanye West's "Homecoming." So, naturally, Viva La Vida will be stoked with cameos from Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Lil' Wayne and T-Pain, right? Er, no. With
legendary producer Brian Eno at the boards, the band surprisingly decided to flex their creative muscles, crafting abstract compositions that aren't as radio-friendly as you might expect. First single "Violet Hill" is a noisy, drone-y march that seems not of this decade'"and it's a step in the right direction.