Critical reaction to X&Y was less enthusiastic than that of its predecessor , with New York Times critic Jon Pareles describing Coldplay as `` the most insufferable band of the decade '' Comparisons between Coldplay and U2 became increasingly common , although critical reaction to the album was still largely positive . Critical reaction to X&Y was mixed , though less enthusiastic than that of its predecessor . New York Times critic Jon Pareles describing Coldplay as `` the most insufferable band of the decade '' , whereas Pitchfork Media rated it `` 4.9 \/ 10.0 '' and called it '' ... bland but never offensive , listenable but not memorable . ''