I don’t usually like to write about music. I feel that it is comparable to dancing about love. It can be done, but only the skilled and experienced should attempt it. But after listening through the new Viva la Vida album from Coldplay, I was compelled to attempt to translate my feelings a little bit (and you can say what you want about my sexual orientation, but I do like Coldplay).

The context of this review is sticky because this album strikes you at obtuse angles, and thus you feel like you must be the only person to have heard this and you want to tell everyone. And then you realize that everyone else already knows. So, OK. I know that Coldplay was introduced by the artistic philistines over at the NBC morning show on Friday at Rockefeller Center, but I am going to try to ignore that.

My other caveat is that music and its consequential reviews are always conversations between close friends. It can be difficult to understand if you don’t know where the participants have been. I don’t pretend to know all the ways that this music relates to everything else outside of my own limited listening.

So what is this Viva La Vida album all about? There are moments that seem like musical brilliance then you suddenly realize that you can’t understand what Chris Martin is saying. Then the key and tempo switches and the song ends and a new song begins on the same track. At its clearest moments, this album fundamentally describes a lack of clarity, while the unclear moments become artistic metaphors for the same lyrical message. It’s like writing about how you have nothing to write about. And it’s brilliant.

To put this album in an historical perspective, I believe that it achieves and is commercially successful in ways that U2 always attempted to be in the 1990’s. Both groups went through periods where their music exemplified the art of process, irony and inaccessible metaphor. Yet U2’s period didn’t go so well for their fans. The group spent so much time mocking the rock star lifestyle and hiding their beating pulses over processed sound that people recoiled.

Somehow, I think that Coldplay does similar musical things in this album (they did work with U2 producer Brian Eno), but the circumstances are a little bit different and they pull it off. Firstly, Coldplay’s new sound does not follow a smash-hit album (X&Y) in the same way that U2’s did (The Joshua Tree). Secondly, I think that we are in a place where we appreciate a little musical self-doubt here or there, and I think that this is the biggest difference between the present Chris Martin and the Bono of the 90’s. Bono always came off as an arrogant prick even when he tried saying that he had no idea who he really was, while Chris Martin continues to sound like that little small voice inside your head.

Overall, I come away from this album with a renewed confidence to pass judgment on things I disagree with (exemplified in “Viva la Vida” and “Violet Hill”), day dream about perfect days (“Strawberry Swing”), and question everything while still maintaining some sort of belief in…myself, others, God? (“Lost?”).

Okay I know you have been waiting a week for the next ipod shuffle from my oh-so-awesome collection of random music. As you know I have made the claim that I have the most diverse collection of music ever, and all I have to do to prove it is to put my ipod on shuffle (No Skips!)

Here we go:

Pale Blue Eyes by Velvet Underground
A very mellow song, very plaintive and longing. Love the guitar solo. "The fact that you are married, only proves that you are my best friend, but it is truly a sin." Linger on indeed.

Funeral by Clipse feat. Neptunes
First of all I love The Clipse. However, this track isn't their best effort. The beat is decent but the horns could have been more exuberant. The overall concept of a funeral song could have been pushed more - I think the song needed a narrative.

Lemonade by Many Days Waiting
Many Days Waiting is a local band originally from Dallas but now in Scotland led by Kim and Chad Sasser. They're most recent EP "Where Growing Happens" came out last summer and was the truth. "Solitude" was one of my favorite songs from 2007. This track is more spoken word than rock, but the phrase "ahh Texas" is amazing.

Gettin' Some by Shawnna feat. Too Short
Okay this song is dirty but you love it. And guys don't lie that you have always imagined getting some head to this song.

Green Eyes by Coldplay
Another beautiful track by Coldplay. I remember this song getting me in high school. "I came here with a load, it feels so much lighter now I met you, and honey you should know, that I could never go on without you."

Rompe by Daddy Yankee
I remember when this song came on you always wanted to find that girl you really wanted to grind with, I mean really give the business too, because this song goes on FOREVER - like seriously if you couldn't get it after this song came on - give up.

I'm Lovin It by Justin Timberlake
Okay did Justin steal this from McDonalds or vice-versa. Anyway this is an r-rated version of the phrase I mostly associate with a Big Mac.

Baby (remix) by Jay-Z
This is from a great mixtape called Rap Phenomenon III. This mixtape put classic Jay verses to other people's tracks. This is a real nice track, very laid back, very saturday night chilling somewhere really cool with a nice drink in your hand with a beautiful girl.

Cryin Out by Tripp Lee
Another local artist - Tripp Lee is a Christian rap artist whose flow kinda sounds like an early Jeezy. I know Christian rap might sound like an oxymoron but the beats are good and so are the verses. Definitely worth a listen.

P.S. I Love You by The All American Rejects
Okay - I am emo. Sue me.

The Cold Part by Modest Mouse
A track from the critically acclaimed album The Moon & Antarctica is definitely more chilled out and instrumental than what you might expect from Modest Mouse. Very lonely.

Son Of A Preacher Man by Etta James
Just a classic. Enjoy it. Think Pulp Fiction. Remember when gas was cheap. Vibe with it.

Missin You by Notorious B.I.G.
Can I just say that Biggie is amazing. The dude tells stories. Most artists can't tell stories anymore. "can't look his baby girls in the eye." "people swore we were fucking/but we were just cool." Shit is just real. "the dude lived/what my baby have to die for" Hip hop at its best.

Baby Love by Diana Ross and The Supremes
Ride out on this track. "all you do is treat me bad, break my heart and leave me sad". "instead of breaking up, lets do some kissing and making up" Okay girls never say this a dude. If your relationship is like this - get rid of the dude quick - if you don't you have issues.

Thats it for the ipod shuffle! Tune in again next week for the most eclectic randomly generated playlist on the net!