The English band Coldplay have been the most visible act in a recent spate of British imports emphasizing the beauty of a softly strummed guitar and a clearly enunciated melody over the brash rock-and-roll theatrics Oasis brought across the Atlantic in the mid to late ’90s. Their debut, Parachutes (Nettwork/Capitol), was an inescapable smash last year in England and has been a brisk seller here in the States in 2001 thanks to the MTV and radio hit “Yellow,” a starry-eyed swath of minor-key guitar pop that shows off singer/guitarist Chris Martin’s knack for writing the kind of yearning pop gem that seems custom-made for the love scenes in a film like Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet.

A week ago Thursday, having canceled their first Boston appearance a couple months ago, Coldplay brought their tuneful whimsy to a sold-to-capacity Avalon, where sorority girls with crushes on Martin and 40-year-old soccer moms crowded in equal measure to catch a glimpse of the band behind this year’s ubiquitous prom-night anthem. Throughout their 75-minute set, which included half a dozen songs not on Parachutes, Coldplay proved they’re not the one-hit wonder skeptics have been fingering them as.

Not that the “Yellow” enthusiasts in the audience would’ve cared. As four regular-guy bandmembers took the sunflower-dressed stage to a generic and somewhat dated trip-hop beat, the crowd roared in approval, cheering the quartet as if they were singlehandedly responsible for returning silly little love songs to the pop charts. But when Martin sat down behind an electric piano and the lazy loop became the foundation for “Animals,” it seemed Coldplay were eager to prove they could be responsible for a lot more than that. “Animals,” like most of the band’s new material, is darker and more muscular than the fragile-boned pop that dominates Parachutes. “God Put a Smile on Your Face,” which they played about halfway through their 14-song set, even approximated a sort of Velvet Underground 4/4 crunch, with drummer Will Champion borrowing Moe Tucker’s primal bass-and-snare thud. And “Murder” gave some credence to the constant Radiohead comparisons, filtering that band’s Bends-era guitar jangle through Coldplay’s own maturingly moony sensibility.

The adoring audience rewarded the new numbers with attention and applause, but they saved their hosannas for the songs they knew. Coldplay were happy to oblige, nailing note-perfect renditions of the Parachutes highlights “Shiver,” “Everything’s Not Lost” and, of course, “Yellow.” They may not have convinced the world they were saving rock and roll, but on Thursday they had no problem with the congregation gathered at their feet.