Coldplay?s “Parachutes” came out of nowhere a few years back, winning droves of fans among consumers and critics alike with its infectiously popular single Yellow, a winsome tune with a bittersweet underbelly. That single was followed up by the melancholy Trouble. It is this song, and not the more carefree Yellow, that lends its mood to Coldplay?s follow-up album, “A Rush of Blood to the Head.” The album sounds a bit like Radiohead might if that band hadn?t branched off into the atmospheric stylings of its last couple releases. The album opens on a much louder note than the first, starting off with Politik, a chugging, melodic track with cryptically dire lyrics. Their first single for the record, In My Place, follows it up. It?s a song with uplifting guitar hooks but little in the way of vocal reassurance. This is a pattern that Coldplay has followed over the course of both its albums: The mood of a given song?s music is often at odds with the message contained in its lyrics. The songs all work, though, because no matter how dark the lyrics, there?s always a positive lilt to the way they?re sung; the themes balance out in the end. The album moves along with the jangly, pounding God Put a Smile on Your Face before hitting a few slower spots. These middle songs aren?t bad by any means, they just aren?t as good as thefirst or last few. It starts to pick up again with “Green Eyes, a love song with a hint of twang, and even more on Warning Signs.The album hits its peak on the wailing, dirge-like title track, which steadily builds up from a grim beginning to a bitter, mournful climax, winding down with a soft guitar solo. It?s a beautiful song that captures a sense of desperation and longing. The album closes with Amsterdam, an at-first quiet, piano-driven tune that escalates into a soaring song of renewal and thanks.

“A Rush of Blood to the Head” manages to top “Parachutes” on most levels, and suffers only a little from often-trite lyrics. The album is buoyed by the excellent composition of the songs and the earnest vocals of singer Chris Martin, and is incredibly easy to listen to over and over. It may not be a classic, but it?s one of the better offerings of recent months.