What's this? New Coldplay material so soon after the release of Viva La Vida?

In fact, Prospekt's March is a collection of songs that were chiefly intended for the band's fourth album that weren't finished before the deadline. There are eight tracks in total (some new, some newish), and a couple of re-workings of older material. Amongst the re-imaginings is a largely decorative Osaka Sun mix of "Lovers in Japan," and a version of "Lost" that includes an unlikely guest vocalist in the shape of Jay-Z. It seems to work. Of the new material, the piano interlude "Postcards from Far Away" is the shortest and most coruscating work, while "Life in Technicolor (II)" is larger (but slightly less successful), adding only cursory elements to its predecessor on Viva La Vida. More alluring are the gigantic "Glass of Water," the experimental "Rainy Day," and the beautifully melancholy "Prospekt's March/Poppy Fields." Overall, the album is a mixed bag of sorts, but one that's generally more enjoyable than not.--Danny McKenna