New York Magazine - USA (2019-12-09)

Chris Martin

POP / CRAIG JENKINS

Hard Reset

Coldplay gets back

to the business

of shattering hearts.

coldplay is comfort food. The

riffs rock softly but firmly the

way a cradle does. Lead singer Chris

Martin’s voice is pillowy and encourag-

ing like a hug. One of his most memo-

rable lyrics goes, “I will try to fix you.” He

means it. If you’ve forgotten about the

gale-force power of “Fix You,” check out

(or revisit) the video of the band playing

it to the 40,000-seat Allianz Parque in

São Paulo in 2017, as couples, friends,

and families in the crowd hold each

other and weep openly through the

bridge, or watch the clip from ABC’s

Brothers and Sisters (spoiler alert!) of a

politician having a medical emergency

on his way to the hospital where a sur-

rogate is in labor with his adopted child

as the song reaches its climax.You’ll

catch yourself rememberingsomeone

you miss, and you will cry. ThisisChris

Martin’s superpower, the well from

which Coldplay’s hits spring.

Coldplay don’t want to be thisband.

They’ve been running from thesleepy,

sad-bastard excellence of 2000’sPara-

chutes ever since. 2002’s A Rush of

Blood to the Head ramped up theguitars;

2005’s X&Y upped the atmospherics

and spindly post-punk guitar theatricsin PHOTOGRAPH: COLDPLAY/YOUTUBE

Photo:

Jason

Bell

8 WEEKSONLY

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LINNEY

PHENOMENAL.

by

ELIZABETH STROUT

RONA MUNRO

adapted by

RICHARD EYRE

directed by

LAURA LINNEY

starring

LucyBartonPlay.com

Scenic and Costume Design BOB CROWLEY Lighting Design PETER MUMFORD

Sound Design JOHN LEONARD Video Design LUKE HALLS