X&Y is a big album in every sense of the word. The songs are huge. The music is sometimes quiet and intimate but at other times builds to a massive, layered sound that breaks new ground for Coldplay. The lyrics are about big subjects like life and death, love and loss, about being fascinated by the world around us but also about accepting that some things can never be fully understood. Difficult times have followed the band, including insecurities, gruelling touring schedules and challenging trip to Ghana to renew the bands long-standing commitment to help make trade fairer for developing countries. However the songs have been influenced for the better, like A Message, a song that Chris describes almost as a surprise gift. I didnt write it as much as it got sent. I woke up in the middle of the night, I ran downstairs and this song arrived, like a late-night visitor. The kind of raw, emotional songs that Coldplay do so well are still here; Swallowed In The Sea, written early in 2004 and a song about coming to terms with the death of people close to you; the simple, moving love song A Message; and the achingly beautiful What If, which shows that Chris hasnt lost the capacity to worry. Elsewhere, Twisted Logic shows a darker, angry side to the band. Theres the same emphasis throughout on strong songs, but the way these songs have been treated this time round shows a band that is growing, maturing, and ready to try new things. Apart from the riff to Kraftwerks Computer Love - which makes a surprise appearance on Talk the band have stressed that it wasnt really musical ideas they took into the studio, more just moods: a sound, a moment, a feeling. So X&Y is yet another leap forward from Parachutes and A Rush of Blood To The Head. From emotional rollercoasters to rocky and electro-tinged songs, the band believes this album is a raw statement of them being true to themselves; for this, their third album, it took a marathon 18 months work before they were ready for the last-minute creative sprint to the finish line. But when youre passionate about your music, you do whatever it takes. And it was worth waiting for.