Altsounds - Coldplay - Prospekt's March (EP)

Seemingly another unnecessary release by a record label in order to simply cash in; 'Prospekt's March' does little to dissuade from this statement with three of it's eight tracks having featured on the 'Viva La Vida..' album albeit in a slightly different guise.

Firstly we get 'Life In Technicolor ii' which is simply the lead track on the latest album which was instrumental but this time we get Chris Martin crooning over the top 'I can hear it coming/I can hear the siren sound/now my feet won't touch the ground' I don't quite know what he's on about but then who ever does? It's intriguing, however; to wonder did the music or the lyrics come first because I can't see any reason for this not being on 'Viva La Vida..' in place of the instrumental version... very odd. Secondly we get 'Lost' but with added Jay-Z because that is clearly what all Coldplay tracks have been missing - someone to rap about Tupac and Biggie over them! And lastly we get the Osaka Sun Mis of 'Lovers In Japan' now this was a highlight of 'Viva La Vida..' for me personally but I just cannot see what is so different here to be honest it's simply just filler.

And so what is new here then because that is clearly what us punters want to hear. 'Postcards From Far Away' is a forty-eight second through-away plaintive piano melody that again just seems a bit of a waste of time. 'Glass Of Water' follows and this is much better seeing a more up-tempo Coldplay with the customary Jonny Buckland guitar twinkling away before the sunburst in the centre that is reminiscent of the track 'Politik' there is more of an atmosphere to this track with some space-age synth thrown in for good measure. Slowing with the resplendant Martin piano before kicking off in the final hurdle it's maybe a sign of things to come or possibly a full stop on the 'Viva La Vida..' sessions.

'Rainy Day' brings the Coldplay funk in it's beat and rythm with compressed Chris Martin vocals until the bass heavy orchestra assisted chorus, I can't quite place the track but it's very similar to someting else I wish I could pinpoint it and I know it'll now bug me for ages... damn Coldplay. Title track 'Prospekt's March' it seems to me is where this whole french revolutionary idea for 'Viva La Vida..' has come from as it's almost an ode to a march into battle but set to a very sombre/gradually-lifting track. There's a nice little nod to Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' with the line 'We're just two little figures in a soup bowl' before the track gradually fades away. The final track here is in the vein of a lot of finale Coldplay tracks such as 'Amsterdam' and 'Everything's Not Lost' in that the last track 'Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground' is all swooning acoustic guitars and mellow vocals before the intervening brass section at it's end brings us to a crescendo.

All in all 'Prospekt's March' is nothing more than a marketing ploy which is a shame as there are some great little tracks here and to be made to fork out more money for them is a bit of a kick in the teeth but Coldplay fans will doubtless go and do just that. Still it's the name of the game nowadays and almost every band on any major label is going to be hitting their fans with these sort of releases so we might as well all just get used to it... they have no shame whatsoever.