 Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times praised the album , commenting that it is " one of the year 's best albums " and describing it as " sparser , stranger and even catchier than its predecessor " . Rolling Stone magazine 's Rob Sheffield , said that " A Rush of Blood to the Head is a <unk> , edgier , thoroughly surprising album " , adding , " where Parachutes was the clumsy diary of a high @-@ strung kid , A Rush of Blood sounds more like a band with the confidence to test its own limits . " Ted Kessler of NME lauded the album , calling it " an album of outstanding natural beauty , an organic , wholesome work . " MacKenzie Wilson of AllMusic echoed the above comments , saying that it is a " strong album " . Wilson , who compliments Martin for his " sharpened " falsetto and refined " haunting delivery " and Buckland for his " riveting guitar work " , notes that " regardless of the band still being in their mid @-@ twenties , they 've made an amazing record " . Emma Pearse of the American newspaper The Village Voice has the same sentiments , stating that it is " a little edgier , <unk> , and more conversational " compared to Parachutes . Robert Christgau gave the album a one @-@ star honourable mention ( ) and quipped , " Let Green Eyes dump him for real and we 'll see how long he hums in the void . " 
