God is just. so. incredible.

Really- he is.

I was running this afternoon in the deathly heat and was nearing the mile when the thoughts of stopping starting formulating. (Side note: in high school, I was an avid cross-country runner and the days that we would run 10 miles straight were my favorite) So I passed the 1200 meter mark and only had 400 left to complete my mile when I heard my iphone go off that I had received a text message. I resisted the urge and then a few seconds later it went off again that I had new mail. I’ve been waiting A N X I O U S L Y for a few things so I decided to stop and check it right before hitting the mile mark.

They were both nothing really special.

It’s funny how we get so distracted over nothing and we lose our focus.

I kept my running/walking going for the next few miles. I started talking to God because honestly, I really have nothing left but to go to him for everything now. I’ve been getting so anxious over things and freaking out…and it just is always over absolutely nothing.

As soon as I started to pray to Him, I said “God really, I need your advice give me something…anyth-”

And that was exactly the point when Pandora kicked in and played “White Shadows” by Coldplay. I was listening to Pandora the whole time because my iPod capability on my phone is working right now.

(No I was not even on the Coldplay station either. I was on the MuteMath station.)

Like I said- God listens to Coldplay. And now he speaks coldplay to me too.

“When I was a young boy I tried to listen
And I wanna feel like that,
Little white shadows blink and miss them
Part of a system, I am

If you ever feel like something’s missing
Things you’ll never understand,
Little white shadows sparkle and glisten,
Part of a system, a plan”

Don’t we all want to go back to that “child-like faith”? That’s what I was reminded of in the first verse. The rest if kind of self-explanatory. Sometimes things are just missing in our lives that we don’t understand…

“Maybe you’ll get what you wanted
Maybe you’ll stumble upon it
Everything you ever wanted
In a permanent state

Maybe you’ll know when you see it
Maybe if you say it you’ll mean it
And when you find it you’ll keep it
In a permanent state, a permanent state”

Life is full of maybe’s. Especially from God. There are definitive yes’ and no’s that come from him but right now I believe I’m in the maybe era of my life.

“Swimmin’ on a sea of faces
The tide of the human races, oh
An answer now is what I need
I see it in the new sun rising and
See it break on your horizon, oh
Come on love, stay with me”

Again in the last verse- I’m reminded of God making all things new. Everything.

I really don’t want to go into everything right now- but basically I was just reassured that God is still there working for me. We are all “part of a system, a plan” and we have to trust God that He is working that system out.

Patience…patience…patience.

Here is a YouTube video I found for this song too. I thought it was interesting they filmed this as they were walking on a sidewalk, because this song came to me on a sidewalk too.

Try going to God first for advice- even in the silly things. You will be amazed at the ways he shows up and gives advice.

By James Grimes

Stars:  *|*|*|*|

Summary:  Though not as awesome as it could have been,  Coldplay’s third hit boasts great Electronic Rock paired with intelligent, sometimes cryptic themes.

Art Assessment: Slick and strange.

Review:  After their mostly acoustic and piano led success ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’, rising British Alternative Rock band Coldplay released a more electronic and Kraftwerk inspired album, ‘X & Y’.  Instead of going into a whole lot in this introduction, let’s dive in.

‘Square One’:  This a good opener for the album, introducing the band’s new direction.  The theme of the song is rather mournful, referring to someone who finds themselves either unable to move forward into their dreams or under the impression that they are thusly stuck.

‘What If’:  A more quiet, romantic song that hearkens back to the previous ‘A Rush Of Blood’ success ‘The Scientist’.  The protagonist of the song wants to connect with the one he loves, or else his world would essentially fall apart.

‘White Shadows’:  Jumping back into the electronic fray, this one tells the story of the protagonist losing innocence and becoming part of The System.  What he desires now is take the people who he loves out of the emptiness of this controlled life.  Or at least, that’s my interpretation of the lyrics.

‘Fix You’:  A simple, romantic song, beginning with organs and ascending to become an anthem.  It’s beautiful, moving, hopeful, and mournful all at once.

‘Talk’:  This track has the most obvious Kraftwerk influence.  Coldplay borrows the riff from ‘Computer Love’, one of their more famous songs, and adjusts it for clever use here.  This song is about the break up of communication, perhaps between the general population of the human race.  The idea being that, if we achieve true dialog, we can realize what we were meant for, and the inherent creativity and God-given glory of the human race can be restored.  It’s a compelling, catchy, mysterious song.  One of my favorites of all their work.

‘X & Y’:  This one strikes at the same themes expressed by the previous two themes, as kind of a joint sequel.  This one makes me think of long car rides, falling asleep as you drive past snow covered trees and lamp posts, as everything blurs together…

‘Speed of Sound’:  Both lyrically and musically, this is the closest we’ve gotten to a sequel to the hit song ‘Clocks’, off their previous album.  This one refers to the wonder of life, though in a very intriguing, intentionally cryptic way.  It’s supposed to draw you in.  It succeeds marvelously.

‘A Message’:  Suddenly we are back in the acoustic wonderland of ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’, and though that’s not unwelcome, it feels kind of out of place.  Thankfully, though, the electronic backup soon returns about a third of the way into the song.  Unfortunately, this is where the album feels repetitive, in a bad way.  It’s another straightforward love song, yet again about communication.

‘Low’:  A great tune, with more of the Kraftwerk feel that I personally enjoy, but again the lyrics refer to the same basic themes.  Only this time, there’s more emphasis on letting go of perfectionism and embracing the beauty of the world’s design as it is, as a key to hope.

‘The Hardest Part’:  This one sounds a bit more bubbly and happy than the previous few tracks, so it helps defuse the greatest threat to an album’s integrity: boredom.  This song is absolutely key to killing that problem in ‘X & Y’.  This one is happier in tune, yes, but it still deals with the introspective acknowledgments of the songwriter, and never strays too far from the overall themes.

‘Swallowed In The Sea’:  If you really pay attention to the lyrics, this is one of the strongest songs on the album.  Two people encounter loss of hope in their relationship, and this is a poetic plea for their love to be restored.

‘Twisted Logic’:  This song is amazing.  It’s my personal favorite of this release.  Unlike the rest of the songs, it’s dark and somewhat angry, while remaining cryptic, and you just get caught up in it.  It’s got huge scope, in contrast to the personal nature of much of the rest of the album.  It’s a great touch, and I think a great teaser for the next album, ‘Viva La Vida’, which shares its thematic darkness.

‘Til Kingdom Come’:  This hidden track makes a tearful goodbye, not really to the album, but to the person who was supposed to sing it… Johnny Cash.  This was going to be one of his last songs, but he passed away before he could perform it with Chris Martin, Coldplay’s lead singer.  It’s beautiful, elegant, and very strong and memorable.

So now that it’s all said and done, what do I think of ‘X & Y’ on its own merits?  Well… very good, but not as strong as it could have been.  It teeters on the edge of becoming boring, especially near the end.  Nevertheless, armed with rich lyrics and strong rhythms, it is an excellent release and a must-have for fans of electronic and Alternative Rock.

In ton cu vremea, care ma face sa-mi doresc sa fiu sub patura si sa lenevesc fara sa ma intereseze cat e ceasul, unde trebuie sa ajung, ce trebuie sa fac…Just let it rain.

cuando yo era joven intentaba escuchar
y quería sentirme así
pequeñas sombras blancas
parpadear y echarlas de menos
parte de un sistema, soy

si alguna vez te has sentido como algo perdido
cosas que nunca entenderás
pequeñas sombras blancas
destellando y brillando
parte de un sistema otra vez

todo este ruido, me estoy despertando
todo este espacio, lo estoy aceptando
todo este sonido se está rompiendo
ohhhh

puede que obtengas lo que querías
puede que te tropieces con ello
todo lo que siempre quisiste
en un estado permanente

puede que lo sepas cuando lo veas
puede que si lo dices, lo querrás decir
y cuando lo encuentre, lo guardarás
enun estado permanente, un estado permanente

cuando era joven intentaba escuchar
no te quieres sentir asi?

tu eres parte de la raza humana
todoas las estrellas y el espacio exterior
parte del sistema otra vez

todo este ruido, estoy despertando
todo este espacio, estoy aceptandolo
no puedo oir, estás saliendo

puede que obtengas lo que querías…
…
..

puede que lo sepas cuando lo veas…
…

nada fuera en un mar de caras
olas de las razas humanas
oh, una respuesta ahora es lo que necesito

miralo en un nuevo sol naciente
miralo romperse en tu horizonte
oh, vamos amor
quedate conmigo

Escucha \"White shadows\"

We’re all a part of the system, we all cast a shadow as we all cast light, I’m in a Coldplay kind of mood

White Shadows…

Swimmin’ on a sea of faces
The tide of the human races, oh
An answer now is what I need
I see it in the new sun rising and
See it break on your horizon, oh

When I was a young boy I tried to listen
And I wanna feel like that,
Little white shadows blink and miss them
Part of a system, I am

If you ever feel like something’s missing
Things you’ll never understand,
Little white shadows sparkle and glisten,
Part of a system, a plan

All this noise I’m waking up
All this space I’m taking up
All this sound is breaking up

Ooh oh ooh

Maybe you’ll get what you wanted
Maybe you’ll stumble upon it
Everything you ever wanted
In a permanent state

Maybe you’ll know when you see it
Maybe if you say it you’ll mean it
And when you find it you’ll keep it
In a permanent state, a permanent state

When I was a young boy I tried to listen,
Don’t you wanna feel like that?
You’re part of the human race
All of the stars in the outer space,
Part of a system, a plan

All this noise I’m waking up
All this space I’m taking up
I cannot hear you’re breaking up

Woaaooh

Maybe you’ll get what you wanted
Maybe you’ll stumble upon it
Everything you ever wanted
In a permanent state

Maybe you’ll know when you see it
Maybe if you say it you’ll mean it
And when you find it you’ll keep it
In a permanent state, a permanent state

Swimmin’ on a sea of faces
The tide of the human races, oh
An answer now is what I need
I see it in the new sun rising and
See it break on your horizon, oh
Come on love, stay with me

Estamos ante el último trabajo de estudio hasta la fecha de Coldplay, y el tercero de la carrera de la banda británica liderada por Chris Martin. Publicado en junio de 2005, X&Y se convirtió en el álbum más vendido del año gracias a los 8,3 millones de copias vendidas en todo el mundo, copando las principales listas de éxitos a nivel internacional. En 2006 recibió el premio a Mejor álbum británico y el Juno a Mejor álbum internacional.

La característica fundamental de este disco respecto a sus antecesores radica en la influencia de la música electrónica, sobre todo de los alemanes Kraftwerk, así como de David Bowie o Brian Eno. De este modo, los teclados y los sintetizadores se fusionan con las guitarras eléctricas y la batería; su brit pop sombrío característico sufre una vuelta de tuerca hacia el rock alternativo.

Audio & Track List →

La mezcla no podía ser mejor: X & Y es uno de esos discos de los que nunca te cansas de escuchar, y del que no te puedes quedar tan sólo con un par de canciones. Aún así, te  recomiendo  el primer single, Speed of Sound. Después disfruta con la energía de Talk,  Low y White Shadows, así como de la pausa de What If y Swallowed in the Sea, pero sobe todo presta atención a The Hardest Part, un auténtico temazo en forma de balada. En definitiva, un indispensable en las estanterías de los amantes de la buena música.

1. Square One – 4:47
2. What If – 4:57

3. White Shadows – 5:28

4. Fix You – 4:55
5. Talk – 5:11 

6. X&Y – 4:34
7. Speed of Sound – 4:48

8. A Message – 4:45
9. Low – 5:32

10. The Hardest Part – 4:25

11. Swallowed in the Sea – 3:59

12. Twisted Logic – 5:01
13. Til Kingdom Come – 4:10