Happy 20th Anniversary to Coldplay’s debut album Parachutes, originally released July 10, 2000.
Debut albums, by their very nature, are mysterious introductions. With little or no forewarning, they arrive free of expectation and full of promise. Such was the case with Coldplay’s arrival with Parachutes (tentative EP releases aside).
I remember watching the music program RAGE in Australia (the quasi-equivalent to MTV) on the night they would play every new release of the week no matter who by. It was a great way to hear (and see) the broad spectrum of new music on offer. I can’t recall what else was played that night except for this jangly ¾ time tune by a band I’d never heard of before. With an intimate, shot in the studio feel, the video placed the emphasis on the music being played and the band performing it. That track was, of course, the debut single “Shiver.” With its rollicking groove and reaching vocals, the song cut through the throng to land with an impact.
So much so that here I am 20 years later, and I can recall everything about the moment. The darkened room, the blue couch I was sprawled across and the way electricity rippled through my spine as the song unfolded.
That’s the joy of new music. A sense of discovery and a sense of anticipation as you wait for more.
And then, a few months later, as “Shiver” was still in heavy rotation in my home, came the song that placed them on the map, the romantic lament of “Yellow.” The single would transform the band from being a little-known gem to launching them onto the world stage. With its soft lilting arrangement, “Yellow” wrapped its arms around the world and the world hugged back. Lyrically obtuse yet somehow universal, it captures the experience of love and longing. “Yellow” was the perfect song for a hopeful new millennium filled with openness and optimism.
With the arrival of Parachutes on July 10, 2000, the promise of “Shiver” and “Yellow” was further expanded on with a collection of songs that introduced a band finding their feet.
Yes, there were moments that traced hints of inspiration such as the nods to Jeff Buckley in the indie-rock of “High Speed” and “Shiver,” but they were more than just carbon copies. Where the influence was obvious, Coldplay still managed to make it a launching off point and reshape it into their own making.
There were meticulously crafted rock pop songs in the swaying opener “Don’t Panic” that brought the powers of Chris Martin’s voice to the fore and the energy of the band in focus, and the melancholic yearning in the piano led swoon of “Trouble.”
One of the great aspects of Parachutes is its varied moods and soundscapes. From the sparseness of “Trouble” and the folksy twang of “Parachutes” through to the slow brewing arrangement of “Spies,” “We Never Change” and “Sparks,” you glimpse a band discovering its own sound and gaining confidence with each passing bar.
Whilst worldwide success loomed on the horizon, the heart of everything Coldplay was and continues to be found here in this heady mix of evocative melody and lyrical wordplay. Parachutes is an interesting look back filled with the ambition and dreams that would soon be realized. It remains a vital part of Coldplay’s extensive and varied canon, and remains just as intriguing as its very first listen.
LISTEN: