Album Artwork Analysis

COLDPLAY - X&Y

The band are called Coldplay, who are know worldwide for their songs such as Fix You, Vida la Vida, Paradise and Every Teardrops a Waterfall. This is one of their albums called X and Y.  X&Y is the third studio album by British the rock band released 6 June 2005 in the United Kingdom via the record label Parlophone. When I first saw this artwork I thought it was a little bit boring and confusing trying to work out the shape on the cover. The CD cover uses a lot of colours to entice potential buyers to get the album. In my opinion I wouldn’t really consider looking into too much detail of the album cover because I like that band. However if I didn’t like the band, the unusual artwork my catch my eye in the shop because of the colours and the strange symbol in the middle of the page. The target audience for this cover would be any body how loves the band or that who is interested in the complex drawing on it.  I also love that the artist name is spread all over the page to get them noticed, I feel its all about the symbol in the middle that actually makes the name of the album in a code 'X and Y'. All in all the design is quite unique and maybe more for people who like the band to buy the album. 

The Chemical Brothers - Push The Button

The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo composed of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method. Their music is the big beat circuit, which is basically dance music. When I first saw this album art work I likes the look of the way it was set out with the name of the album being the centre of attention. I like the use of colours because it isn't to fancy or over the top to look at. I like the way there's a fist pumping in the air, to look like the band have power or when you listen to the music you want to rave to it. Also the use of an outline of a face is a good idea to use because where the words for the album title, they have been used to shape a 'brain'. The target audience that this band are for is for people that may like dance music or possible because they like the cover, because it is quite different to any other CD cover.  All in all, i really like the use of colour used, and the use of imagery.

BECK - THE INFORMATION 

The Information is the tenth (and seventh major-label) studio album by American alternative rock musician Beck, released in October 2006 on Interscope Records. People that would this type of genre of music would be people who love Beck or alternative rock music. In my opinion, when I first saw this album artwork I was a little confused because it was just the bands name in block letters. Then once I opened up the CD case I found lots of stickers. The main reason behind the stickers is to make your own individual album cover using the stickers of the bands songs. The use of stickers may resemble childhood memories to create your own world as such. Another feel I get from the cover is a retro style, using very bright colour stickers images and the use of graph paper is another childhood memory from school. In my opinion I like the concept of the idea but when you first look at the cover, personally I wouldn't want to by it.

THE SHINS - CHUTES TOO NARROW

The Shins are an American indie rock band from Albuquerque, New Mexico, formed in 1996. The album Chutes Too Narrow cover is quite artistic in the way that there is a lot of illustrations to show the songs that are in the album. The look of this album is quite cartoonish using simple images to explain the song titles. However, for a indie rock band I don't think the cover suits that type of music, as I feel it looks to childlike. Or maybe that's what the artist wanted to achieve with this cover. The use of colours are quite good because there is only a few colours picked out, but there is just too much colour in my opinion. I do like the why that the artwork has been laid out because it isn't the normal CD booklet that you would normally get in the case. 

Out of of the CD's that I have analysed I like the look of The Shins album because it is cartoonish and different to other covers. I like the concept of Beck's album by creating your own cover. Also the colours in The Chemical Brothers album are quite simple. But the album that i like the most is Coldplay's album because they're the type of band i would normally listen to, despite not really like the 'X&Y' cover.