Don’t get me wrong, I hate hate Coldplay as much as the next guy. Nevertheless, I think their new single, “Violet Hill” is pretty sick.

[audio:Violet_Hill.mp3]

There’s a good chance I’m more into the production than the actual song. So be it. Brian Eno is the man. The mix is complex and well layered, giving particular attention to the rich, crunchy guitar tones. All together, it’s a great combination of diverse textures featuring a low and gentle synth, Chris Martin’s roomy vocals, deep drums, and a meticulously blended acoustic piano.

As for craftsmanship, the song is good–for Coldplay. I’ve never been a huge fan of their work, but I dig that they’ve put something together that appeals to my sensibility. The melodies are nice, but nothing too ground-breaking. My least favorite part of the whole song is the obligatory 8-bar riff section that comes in at 2:18. For lack of a better example, it reminds me of the riff from that Franz Ferdinand song that went huge. I’m too lazy to look it up AND I really don’t care. In any case, it’s unoriginal. Points off.

The ending, however, is super solid. They introduce a brand new melody, kill everything but piano and vocals–like some kind of breakdown or bridge–and then tie the new melody back into the refrain seamlessly to close things up. It’s really cool, really classy, and above all else: original.

Unrelated to the music, it’s noteworthy that the band is actually giving this track away all week to anyone with an email address. Furthermore, they’ve announced they they’ll be playing free shows in New York, London, and now Barcelona. Not bad.