Favorite Songs of the Decade #9, Coldplay, "Moses"

Anybody who knows me knows it's axiomatic that I hate Coldplay. This is largely because I cultivate the image of somebody who hates Coldplay; deep inside, I kind of like a few of their songs, and I feel mostly ambivalent about most of the rest. I mostly just loathe Chris Martin: that sexless falsetto warble, those self-important pseudo-profound lyrics, the sniveling yen to split the difference between the worst things about Bono and Thom Yorke.

But I have always thought that "Moses" is magnificent.

Everything is in place. It begins with a muted guitar string arpeggio, which leads to the core rhythm guitar riff, which sets the stage for one of my favorite guitar leads ever. It's not fancy, but it weaves in and out of the rhythm guitar perfectly--it feels like somebody searching desperately for something. Chris Martin's lyrics are innocuous and his vocal doesn't ruin the song, which is all I really ask for.

But what sets this song apart, what makes it GREAT, is the bridge. If you've ever talked to me about music over alcohol, you've probably gotten the "bridge" rant. I am convinced that the bridge is the pivotal moment in a pop song. Any fool can write two verses and a chorus; it's the bridge that distinguishes a great pop song from all the riffraff. Most Coldplay songs have shitty bridges. The bridge, for instance, ruins "Clocks," a wonderful song that peters out when it should be launching into the stratosphere.

"Moses" doesn't peter out. Starting at 3:23, the song strips down to just the rhythm guitar and Chris Martin's vocal. It hovers there for almost a minute, building on Martin's vocal, until it explodes. And then it ends, before the effect is lost. Very nearly a masterpiece. I love it.