'The band play one excellent song after another, effortlessly growing in stature. As new single 'Yellow' effortlessly captures the crowd's attention, the conclusion 'next year's Travis' is impossible not to reach."
John Robinson reviews Coldplay at Glastonbury 2000

'Like Travis, they're distilling a raw, feminised passion into this rush of melodious power. It's the sound of hearts and souls. And simply it's the most exciting gig you'll see all year."
James Oldham, 25 March 2000

"It's all a question of what you want from your rock stars. The criticism most often levelled at Coldplay (certainly round these parts) is that they will never be the saviours of rock'n'roll. They will never cause front-page tabloid sensation and they really like their parents. Frankly, they're more likely to enjoy a nice cup of tea in front of the TV than throw it out the window.
But, hang on. Weren't Oasis everything we could want from a rock band once? They fought, had rock star girlfriends, slagged people off and wanted loads of cash to blow on stupid houses. Fine, but those are exactly the things that have made them an embarrassment; an endless, dull cocaine comedown. Remember the disappointment you felt after 'Be Here Now'? Coldplay will never let you down like that.
Like Travis before them, Coldplay care about what really counts. 'Parachutes' is all that matters in the world to singer Chris Martin. It only takes one listen to realise how he has poured every thought, every feeling he's had in the last two years into this record. With the focus so much on Chris' voice here, it's like reading one long, intimate love letter.
Indeed, for all Chris' perceived mildness, there's nothing half-hearted about some moments here, moments which indicate there's more to him than anyone knows. For a man in his early 20s, the mind boggles over the tragic air of his love life; the number of feelings gone unrequited, the number of loves pined for. The band's biggest hit so far, 'Shiver', is a heart-rending case in point, its first line saying it all ("So I look in your direction, but you pay me no attention"). It's powerful because its sentiment is so simple. And, let's face it, so easy for everyone to comprehend.
Again, in the devotional 'Yellow' ("For you, I bleed myself dry", no less) or the gorgeous regret of 'Trouble' ("I never meant to do you harm"), it's the force of feeling which counts. That's what brings the entirely favourable comparisons to Jeff Buckley, The Verve, even Radiohead. But it's far gentler than anything the latter have ever done. Unlike Thom Yorke, Chris exists in a place we can almost understand. A place that Fran Healy might have passed through, but is too happy with his girlfriend to really remember.
All told, it's incredible this is a debut album. Accomplished, yet subtle, it works perfectly as a whole in a way all the production skills in the world couldn't replicate. Forget trashing rooms and rent-a-quotes, just listen. This really is all that matters. "
Let it be that simple for once. 9/10