Album- Mylo Xyloto
Artist- Coldplay
Coldplay- the band that pretty much everyone just seems to
love and who have such massive global success it is quite unbelievable. This
album is a concept album about two people falling in love after meeting in a
dystopian, urban environment. The album also was features a new electronic
band, and can perhaps be seen as a potential musical rejuvenation or as a
downhill spiral, something that the record itself will decide.
Track 1- Mylo Xyloto
The opening track is a short electronic introduction with a
powerful sound that feels very stadium ready and gives us that sense of
epicness permeating this record, particularly in the way that the opening
really builds in volume, and this really works in terms of the records grand
concept.
3/5
Track 2- Hurts Like
Heaven
With a seamless transition from the introduction this number
is an light guitar fuelled number that sounds like it is paying homage to 80’s
music through the fast paced vocal delivery that Martin uses. Lyrically the
track invokes that sense of lightness and showing how love can be in some ways
hurtful but is all pretty good, and in terms of the whole record it explores
that notion of resistance and almost suggests that idea of it being futile to
stifle creativity. This really comes through not only in the lyrics but also in
the light vocal tone of lead vocalist Chris Martin, as well as the powerful
production of the track with its light but forceful drum beats and guitar
riffs, with the electric guitar middle section having that beautiful sense of
freedom, and the track beautifully fading out in a way that to me conjured up
this image of walking off into the sunset.
4/5
Track 3- Paradise
This is the big single of the record and will definitely be
one of their best known songs for years to come. And this is because the track
just has an epic feel that really invokes that sense of unity and has a kind of
ethereal quality that so many people will appreciate. The grand and powerful
sound of the track can be heard from the very beginning with the rattling synthesisers
and orchestral sound that give that awesome vitality to the song and marks it
out as something special. In terms of the record the track speaks of one of the
lovers having sought for a better life all her life, and in that sense the song
also lyrically and simply resonates with a lot of listeners who feel stifled in
the situations that they find themselves. Structurally the song is powerful in
terms of the slow, almost atmospheric sounding verses set against the simple
but dramatic chorus line that is so good it sounds like it is ready made to be
sung along with a stadium strong crowd. And with a vocal performance that keeps
a sense of depth but also lightness in equal parts, this is just deliciously
great music.
5/5
Track 4- Charlie
Brown
The first track written on the record is a powerful up tempo
number that has a light and euphoric edge and features powerful clashing drums,
grand guitar riffs and cool electronic beats that give that sense of childish
innocence to the song and just revelling in that pure moment of joy. The vocals
are deeper and feature some nice layering, with the “ohhh” motif of the track
having that crowd pleasing kind of quality. And lyrically the track powerfully
invokes that sense of living in the moment and not being controlled in any way.
But what really stands out most in this track is the production, with the
overall sound being really infectious, but in particular the smaller qualities
of the song standout. In particular the childlike vocal synthesisers that
permeate certain sections of the song and offer that sense of diverging in
terms of the energy, making every second that more powerful. And the way that
the track almost melancholically ends with piano instrumentation emphasises
beautifully that sense of having lived for the moment you can now chill and
look back in retrospect.
5/5
Track 5- Us Against
the World
This track opens with a church organ and delayed guitar
patterns before being stripped down to an acoustic setting, just Martin and the
guitar. It offers a nice change of pace and shows how the band are always
focused on the melody and how the track should be conveyed, not just about
making big sounding numbers. In terms of the lyrics the track is all about
being transferred from that sense of being and kind of can be seen as a love
song but also a universal number that employs the idea of faith potentially.
Vocally that natural roughness within his voice makes for a good tone to the
record that still provides that sense of warmth and a heartfelt quality. And
the track really works through that stripped back sound, with the orchestral
swell towards the end providing just the right amount of power before letting
the lyrics and vocals have that final say, as they are the elements that shine
in this particular track.
3.5/5
Track 6- M.M.I.X
This track is a musical interlude that feels quite cinematic
in tone and has dark, we are building toward something kind of flavouring that
emphasises the dramatic impact of the record and blends nicely into the next
song, giving us that sense of hope.
3/5
Track 7- Every
Teardrop a Waterfall
The albums lead single is another Coldplay anthem layered
over a cool ravey keyboard melody and guitar riffs that have a reckless abandonment
kind of quality to them. Lyrically the track has a kind of minimal quality to
it and sparks that sense of changing and being inspired to do so. The track
comes as a good signifier of the records sound in that it explores that
electronic sound whilst also retaining the bands stadium rock sound in a
palpable way, particularly in terms of the final section. It’s difficult not to
enjoy the simple, quite summery lightness of this song that just bursts with
joy.
3.5/5
Track 8- Major Minus
Major Minus finds the record transitioning into a darker,
fearful kind of tone that packs a little dramatic punch. Inspired by a range of
sources and that idea of people speaking out and expressing themselves in
negative enviroments, the track lyrically invokes that big brother constant
watching ideology and is about the idea of two lovers running away from a grim
government environment. The tone of the track definite comes through in the
lyrics rather than the vocals, but the clattering production with the rattling
guitar riffs and jagged percussion gives that dark. Atmospheric edge that is
very welcome.
3.5/5
Track 9- U.F.O
This acoustic number features a hopeful sense of lyricism of
flying away to better things and features some quite smooth vocals that give a
chilled affect and sound a little bit fragile. And with a acoustic guitar
joined by swirling strings halfway into the song, this is a number where the
words have more of a potent meaning without being too convoluting or
overdriven.
3/5
Track 10- Princess of
China (featuring Rihanna)
This Rihanna featured track allows for the love based, two
character relationship that the record is based in to really come to the fore
and be explored in an interesting way. Sonically the track is different in that
it is based around more synth heavy, electro pop production, with touches of
Asian influences and alternative hip hop. This is very cool in that it almost
means it’s a unique song, not matching the stereotypical Coldplay stadium
sound. The track lyrically features a love hate kind of narrative in which both
parties speak of how they could have had everything but something has just got
wrong. And with the melding of Martins and Rihanna’s beautiful falsetto’s, this
is just a lovely piece that feels delicate and powerful at the same time and is
a pleasant but intricate and relatable listen.
4/5
Track 11- Up in
Flames
This track sees the band traversing back into well-known
ballad territory. But the delicacy of the number and the powerful electronic
drums just sounds really powerful and also quite unique within the record, and
when coupled with a piano riff motif they bring a kind of heartfelt sound to
the record, with the electric guitar and orchestral swirls towards the end just
bringing enough power to the track before settling down into simple emotional
finish. We find Martin employing his great falsetto here with the repetition of
the songs title in the chorus, and lyrically those simple words really
encapsulate the message of the track in that kind of it’s all gone sense of
being. And with a real sense of melody driven music, it just sounds really
peaceful and nice.
3.5/5
Track 12- A Hopeful
Transmission
Another short musical interlude featuring orchestral swirls
and a slow burning delicacy, this is the only one of the short musical
interludes which I feel didn’t really add anything, and in terms of the way it
feeds into the next track, I think it would have just worked better if it was
coupled with the next number rather than acting as a stand-alone piece, with
the rhythm of the interlude almost being too short for you to get any sense of
enjoyment or anticipation out of it.
2/5
Track 13- Don’t Let
It Break Your Heart
The penultimate number finds us in more typical Coldplay
territory and is probably the most straightforward song of the whole record. Here
we find Martin speaking of not letting the hardship of life get to you and
bringing out that inspiring quality which many will say is a typical Coldplay
trait. The stop and start rhythms of the number give a powerful vitality to the
track with the synths and sonically forceful chorus creating a grand wall of
sound and allowing the hook driven vocals of Martin to really shine. And what’s
great is that the track doesn’t end in a forceful way but simply fades out and
seamlessly joins with the next track in a kind of chilled, nice way.
3.5/5
Track 14- Up with the
Birds
The final track starts off in a quite lullaby like way with
simple production built around a very orchestral driven sound and having that
subdued sense of closure lyrically, before the second kicks into a more drum
and guitar, fast paced sound that is very Coldplay and offers that sense of
just removing yourself from the despair of life and finding hope in some other
place. It could have been grander but it could have been more subdued, and so
whilst it does work as an end it also leaves you kind of questioning whether it
was the right end, although that ambiguity may also be a good thing.
3/5
Final Review
The concept of the album might be quite strange and weird to
some when explained, but in terms of the actual record it comes out in a more
straightforward, love based way that feels ethereal but is also rooted in a sense
of honesty and a relatable quality. And in every case Martin’s vocals really
bring out that sense of heartfelt energy to each individual track, no matter
whether it is in a grand and subdued way. The record also really works in term of the
melding of the signature rock driven sound of Coldplay with synth driven beats
that give a energetic and ambient feel to the record at the same time and shows
how the two sounds can powerfully work together. Just another great album from
probably in my opinion one of the greatest groups of all time.
9/10
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