My overwhelming reaction is sadness. I really like Coldplay. I love Coldplay, even. So to listen to this album, I just got sad at how shit it is. This must be the sound that Coldplay haters have been hearing all along. The first song is quite good, and Adventure of a Lifetime is catchy as hell, but they are literally the only two good songs. Up and Up has its moments - though if that solo is passing for 'great' for Coldplay these days they should be worried - and some of his singing in Amazing Day is nice. But yeah, what a fucking stinker. The first ever I won't be buying a Coldplay album.
I liked Mylo Xyloto quite a bit. I had a visceral hatred of Every Teardrop is a Waterfall at first but ended up liking it and overall I found the album had a lot of really good Coldplay songs like Hurts Like Heaven, Charlie Brown, Major Minus... and I liked the Rihanna song too. But it didn't have staying power (I've not gone back to it probably since that year) and was suffocating in its saccharine nature. Ghost Stories is a weird one. I think Midnight was outstanding and I like Always in My Head a lot and Magic became a bit of a fav as well, but it was not a strong album or era for them overall at all in my opinion. It felt weak, more like an EP or a mini-album.
Remember when X&Y was comfortably the worst Coldplay album? I miss those days. That album is very dreary and I also don't go back to it but it has a handful of songs that are really, genuinely good - Square One, Speed of Sound, Fix You, Low.
But this album, man. It just has no passion. Does not feel genuine to me, from the title to the song titles to the cover art, it feels like a pisstake of Coldplay. It's a real shame. Army of One stood out to me as the worst song, although where are this X Marks the Spot and Miracles songs?? Not on Spotify..?
iYup I don't agree with you at all on Interference's distaste for Coldplay. Aside from some blow-ins who always come in and shit on everything they do, I think the regulars quite like them and always give them a chance. This is the first time that I've been really disappointed in a Coldplay album. I think the fact that a lot of people seem sad shows we care for 'em and want 'em to do well. I'm with LM; I hope they can come back with a good album and end on a strong note.
As for lyrics, well we all know they've never been a strong point from the very beginning. I agree with LM again though on lyrics from the Parachutes days. I'd also add that at least the vapid lyrics of those days had conviction behind them. Good delivery. Belief. Passion. They felt genuine. When I listen to a lot of Coldplay songs from the last few albums, it seems more and more like he's trying so hard to write these positive uplifting songs that these lyrics aren't coming from a genuine place. They're forced.
Album ranking:
Parachutes
A Rush of Blood to the Head / Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
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Mylo Xyloto / X&Y (I don't care enough for either to go back and listen to them and make a correct order)
Ghost Stories
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A Head Full of Dreams.
