They may have just missed out on a Mercury Music Prize, but London band Coldplay are still winning hearts and minds with their superb debut album, Parachutes. Led by the gentle, gliding voice of Chris Martin, Coldplay deal in serenely romantic rock, far removed from the overwrought angst of the many Radiohead wannabes. Parachutes is packed with beautifully-crafted tunes, and their summer single, Yellow, stamped its own emotional mark on the UK and Irish Top Ten.
For awhile, Coldplay were the hot favourites to pick up the Mercury Music Prize, but when Badly Drawn Boy snuck in and bagged the coveted award, the band were magnanimous in defeat. One suspects that Martin & co would prefer to stay out of the harsh spotlight and work their magic in the dim shadows. They play the Olympia on Monday.
