Best of 2000s: Coldplay - X&Y (5/5)

Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head was a classic, but it's follow-up, X&Y, was almost as good, delivering a calculated yet powerfully emotional set from a band who, at this point, had been so praised that they could have had the biggest heads in the world. Yet, Chris Martin, ever the self-denigrating Brit he is, could still churn out a tender, doubtful love ballad like "What If" (this is Gwyneth Paltrow's husband, mind you). Melancholy aside, there's lots of great pop moments here too, like "Speed of Sound," which completely retreads the ground covered by "Clocks," but adds better hooks, and "Talk," which cleverly samples Kraftwerk. Elsewhere, it's clear that X&Y was developed to hit all the right notes, and because it does so, it's hard not to like, despite (or because of) its craftiness. I love how the powerful center of "Square One" is followed by a brief acoustic-based epilogue. I love the driving energy of "White Shadows." I love the obvious grab for stadium grandeur that is "Fix You." X&Y is very calculated, but well crafted, so it is quite enjoyable, even removed from the story that told us that by 2005 Coldplay was the biggest thing since U2. That U2's producer, Brian Eno, did their next album only reinforced the point.

Best: Speed of Sound, Talk, Fix You, White Shadows, The Hardest Part, A Message, Square One, What If