Last month I went on a VLV and AROBTTH binge after not hearing those albums for a few years. It struck me just how coherent and phenomenal those albums really were. Needless to say, I was I was pretty worried about hearing the new album after all the negative stuff on here.
Initial reaction: Terrible, terrible album. Terrible production, completely incoherent. And I'm somebody who actually loves Mylo Xyloto. After a week or so of giving it an honest chance, it's actually grown on me a bit. Overall thoughts:
AHFOD: The production stinks, and I wasn't digging it until I checked out the live version on youtube. It's gonna be a great live song and I'm loving the song now. Great opener.
Birds: Love the music, but Martin's vocals seem a bit burried. The beginning of the song sort of reminds me of The Arcade Fire and the end rips The Strokes melody from Under the Cover of Darkness. I really enjoy this song.
HFTW: Ugh. Why did they have to put this on the album? I admit, it is catchy as hell, but it really destroys the momentum and any sense of cohesion generated from the first two songs. I actually kind of like the song, but it should have been a stand alone single rather than being on the album. Again, listening to the live version on youtube sort of converted me into appreciating the song for what it is.
Everglow: Beautiful melody, but I don't feel like it really goes anywhere. Originally this was one of my favorites from the album, but I'm already bored with it. Those backing vocals from Gweneth really needed to be omitted also.
AOAL: Super catchy, but so repetitive that I'm already tired of it. I'm sure it'll be a fun one live.
Fun: Nice guitar, nice vocals, and nice melody. The duet actually really compliments the song. This won't be a song that I will actively wanting to listen to, but also not one that I have felt the urge to skip.
Army of One: There is a good song buried underneath all of the shit going on with this one. That "do we do we" effect is plain obnoxious. Like the song, hate some of the audio effects that were used.
X Marks the Spot: My heart goes boo boo boo boom. I actually like the vocals and the chorus, but what is with those lyrics?
Amazing Day: I really love this song. Once again, it is way overproduced, but I still love it. Great melody, and a feel good song. Yeah, it's sappy, but I love the sentiment. Great melody and has a really classic feel to it. Once again, the live version is far superior.
Up&Up: Loving it, even though the production is once again bad. I'm not fond of the lyrics repeating "up and up" during the verses--I think places where Martin sings other lyrics in place of "up and up" sound much, much better. Great melody, great bridge, great solos from Noel. Again, the live version is far superior. (Notice a trend?)
Miracles: How did this song not make the album when so many other questionable tracks did?
In the end, I would rank this studio album to be a low point in their career because of the horrible production decisions. It could have been great to these ears with a more raw feel like the live versions. The fortunate thing is that those live versions are awesome and I'll definitely be catching a show later this year.