The Viva La Vida mp3 is a very nice, swooningly romantic tune embellished with all sorts of Brian Eno trickery in the margins and lavished with historical references presumably drawn from Martin's University College London degree in Ancient World Studies. It’s good to see a band not afraid to be ridiculed for stuffiness.
In the album as a whole, Coldplay aren't just better; they're the best they've ever been. And the most original. On these 10 songs, the band -- Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berriman and drummer Will Champion -- dispense with cliches and go with their guts. It’s good to hear them stretching their musical legs with such abandon.