Coldplay's 'new' direction...

Thanks for writing that. That's why I haven't listened to this yet, despite being a relative fan. Those first two singles were stinkers, which to me was a big red flag.

I suppose of all the tracks, 'Hurts Like Heaven' seems like the most obvious "single", but while it opens the album well, even that seems to pale in comparison to some of Coldplay's most well-known and popular singles! 'Charlie Brown' has the trademark 'custom built for stadiums' ringing guitar lick, but I'm not convinced it's in any way a good song.

If they release the Rihanna duet ('Princess Of China') as a single, it won't surprise me at all.

They already have!

They already have!

― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Wednesday, October 26, 2011 4:20 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

Oh, so they have!! That figures, then! They've had their 'Radiohead moment', then their 'U2 moment', and now they're having their 'hooking in the pop kids moment'. I suppose entire essays on Coldplay's "populist" and "careerist" tendencies have already been written in abundance - but if we were to overlook that, the big problem with their attempts to 'hook in the pop kids' is that, perversely, they don't seem to have written many, if any, good pop songs this time around.

Very good, nuanced Pitchfork review. Much harder for a critic to praise them than to kick them.

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/reviews/albums/15953-mylo-xyloto/

Read an interview with Martin in EW that claimed initial sessions with Eno went in a more subtle, acoustic direction, until they were all, fuck it, we like being rich and famous and stadium filling. Too bad. Maybe we would have gotten their "Laid" (the album) moment.

Re: THAT pitchfork review.

While Coldplay will always be more enjoyable than groundbreaking and their artistic advances seen as smart troubleshooting than divine intervention, Mylo Xyloto works because the band once again manages to sound like Coldplay without sounding like any of their previous LPs, maintaining their stadium-spanning grandeur while subtly challenging preconceptions.

I'll readily admit that the album doesn't sound like any other Coldplay album, even if it does sound like a Coldplay record. But to say that's the primary reason why an album 'works' is just bizarre as far as I'm concerned, not to mention looking at the album in a very simplistic way. Is the material any good? Does the song sequencing work?

When you're at Coldplay's level, pop acts are your competition and Mylo places itself in a lineage of ultra-mainstream rock records spanning from Born in the U.S.A. to Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix-- swaddled in synths and gilded by state-of-the-art production, but never too off-putting if you still insist that "real music" is played by men with guitars.

Yes, a fair point in a way. But is the material as good as that of 'Born In The USA'? Will it resonate like that album? Will it be seen as a 'classic' years down the line in the same way as 'Born In The USA'? I mean, I'm not extremely hopeful on either count, but y'know, these are the questions that immediately come to mind when I read something like this...

They don't want to completely do away with Coldplay qua Coldplay-- they're still four normal-looking guys who introduced themselves with frail post-The Bends Britrock like "Yellow" and "Trouble". But they continually ask, why limit themselves to that?

Of course. Why limit themselves to that. Is the material any good? Have they written enough great 'pop' songs to justify making a shiny 'pop' album?

While there's no shortage of venomous carping at Coldplay's expense, I've never heard anyone complain about Jon Buckland's guitar tone or the rhythm section not being up to snuff. All sonic tinkering aside, Martin is still a full-time target serving as the perfect avatar for Coldplay, undeniably well-meaning, painfully earnest, and lord, does he try. When Martin tells you that Mylo Xyloto is a conceptual love story inspired by the White Rose movement and The Wire, don't you at least believe that he believes it?

The reason Martin is still a full-time target is because he's undoubtedly the personality and the focal point of the band? Of course I believe that he believes it. The problem is that I don't. He fails to convince ME.

the innocence lost on the Muse-like stargazer "Charlie Brown"

Christ, no. People can say what they like about Muse (and they undoubtedly have), but I couldn't ever see Matt Bellamy singing a lyric like "took a car downtown where the lost boys meet", which is so Springsteen-like it hurts, and is so unconvincing coming from an upper-middle class son of an accountant from Devon.

"coming from an upper-middle class son of an accountant from Devon."

Can we stop doing this? Especially when you invoke Springsteen, you have to allow songwriters to inhabit characters from time to time.

Not that I want to defend Martin's lyrics at all, but, I hate when people do this.

you have to allow songwriters to inhabit characters from time to time.

True. But I don't feel this particular songwriter is any good at it!

His dad's not an accountant. And Martin has never inhabited a character.

And Martin has never inhabited a character.

You're 100% certain that ALL of his lyrics are meant to be presented from Chris Martin's sole perspective?

His dad's not an accountant.

Okay, "former accountant" then...

From Wikipedia:

"Chris Martin was born in Exeter, Devon, England and is the eldest of five children. His father, Anthony Martin, is a retired accountant, and his mother, Alison Martin, is a music teacher.[1][2]"

Unless you meant that Matt Bellamy's dad isn't an accountant, and of course he wasn't/isn't.

xp Right, Turrican so your main argument is you don't think the songs are good enough? I don't think that merits a line-by-line takedown of Ian Cohen's review. There's a difference between "I do/don't like this" and thoughtful music criticism, and I think Cohen's done a great job of the latter in this case.

DL otm, thats a really well written review.

Right, Turrican so your main argument is you don't think the songs are good enough? I don't think that merits a line-by-line takedown of Ian Cohen's review. There's a difference between "I do/don't like this" and thoughtful music criticism, and I think Cohen's done a great job of the latter in this case.

Well, basically when it comes down to it I don't think the songs are good enough and I don't think the album holds together very well, yeah, not to mention the usual problem I have with being unable to connect to Coldplay on lyrical level.

I don't think that Ian Cohen's proclamations that "an album works because it's different yet the same" (which I feel is an over-simplistic way of looking at things, not to mention not quite right), and "hey! this album is okay if you tune out Chris Martin!" warranted 7 paragraphs, but horses for courses...

Unless you meant that Matt Bellamy's dad isn't an accountant, and of course he wasn't/isn't.

My dad worked for Anthony Martin. He's a businessman, not an accountant. He owns a caravan shop thing.

/And Martin has never inhabited a character./

You're 100% certain that ALL of his lyrics are meant to be presented from Chris Martin's sole perspective?

He may have written in character, but he's never inhabited one.

xp Right, Turrican so your main argument is you don't think the songs are good enough? I don't think that merits a line-by-line takedown of Ian Cohen's review. There's a difference between "I do/don't like this" and thoughtful music criticism, and I think Cohen's done a great job of the latter in this case.

It is a good, thoughtful piece.

He may have written in character, but he's never inhabited one.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, October 26, 2011 7:13 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

Yeah, this pretty much hits the nail on the head!

They all have exactly the same lyrical voice, for a start.

Well, yeah, he's far too bland to make me actually believe in them, but its pretty clear that from time to time his intention is to write from the POV of another character.

Then we agree!

Yeah, I was misreading your initial post.

I like Ian's writing, and I appreciate his take on the album, but again, from my vantage, those two singles are bad, especially by Coldplay singles standards. Ergo, I have trouble buying that the album is any good when the best foot forward, as such, is a stumble. Or at least, I have a hard time believing that those two singles are the only two clunkers on the album, though stranger things have happened.

I'm not a huge fan of "Paradise", but I think "Every Teardrop" (lyrical clunker aside) was fine as far as Coldplay singles go. Just as stadium-aimed as any other.

And Martin has never inhabited a character.
You're 100% certain that ALL of his lyrics are meant to be presented from Chris Martin's sole perspective?
― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Wednesday, October 26, 2011 1:15 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

Given that his lyrics are absolute doggerel and impossible to parse, I'm not even sure that we can say they _have_ a "perspective" or "point of view"

i mean look at the lyrics above, they sometimes use the first person but what they "describe" is so vague that you don't have the slightest sense of who the person might be or what they might be experiencing

this is not the be-all end-all of lyrics (surely impressionistic lyrics without a fixed POV can be excellent) but it's not like there are other compensations. evocative phrases? wordplay? richness of sound patterns? interesting structure? enjambment? yeah right.

Still feeling the Coldplay critics will only be content if Coldplay make a "Kid A". And - face it - Coldplay will never make a "Kid A". And we - their fans - are very happy for that. Because Radiohead lost us when they made "Kid A".

i hear a lot of suicide, los del río, and juice newton in the new coldplay disc.

geir, do you have your own radio show? b/c i think you would attract lots of geir-heads.

this is not the be-all end-all of lyrics (surely impressionistic lyrics without a fixed POV can be excellent) but it's not like there are other compensations. evocative phrases? wordplay? richness of sound patterns? interesting structure? enjambment? yeah right.

Has Coldplay recorded its own take on the "The Unforgettable Fire" (title track)? As a song it's drivel but what a "soundscape."

Having had a brief look around a few of the Coldplay forums, it's fair to say that the mixed reception isn't limited to the critics.

I would expect many Coldplay fans would be disappointed for the exact opposite reasons that the critics are. I have grown up with synthpop and I am OK with synths, but I can imagine many Coldplay fans feel the guitars are a bit too much in the background this time around.

Has Coldplay recorded its own take on the "The Unforgettable Fire" (title track)? As a song it's drivel but what a "soundscape."

― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, October 26, 2011 10:12 PM (58 seconds ago) Bookmark

That's easily my favourite thing about the track!

exactly!

On another note: the marvelous bit about the Pet Shop Boys' cover of "Viva La Vida" is they had the brains to reconfigure the oh-oh-ohs as a soccer anthem, suitable for the distant fields of Glastonbury. They didn't hesitate to go for the large gesture. Coldplay are too timid, too conflicted to risk vulgarity.

I would expect many Coldplay fans would be disappointed for the exact opposite reasons that the critics are. I have grown up with synthpop and I am OK with synths, but I can imagine many Coldplay fans feel the guitars are a bit too much in the background this time around.

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, October 26, 2011 10:15 PM (9 seconds ago) Bookmark

I honestly can't see that - I mean, there's guitar everywhere on the record, and a couple of the songs are acoustic-based(!) ... It's not like Coldplay haven't used keyboards or synths before... 'Viva La Vida' being a notable example, 'White Shadows' from 'X&Y'...

They are still more notable here. And the beats are also more notable, particularly on "Princess Of China" (which, after all, has a bit more of Rihanna on it than just her voice). This album definitely has more of recent mainstream pop to it and less of that "classic" Britpop sound. This is perfectly fine to me as long as the choruses and tunes are still in place and still very much Coldplay, but I know some of the more conservative fans of guitar bands tend to turn their backs towards them if they don't sound like guitar bands anymore.

And, the keyboard use on the previous couple of albums was a bit "The Joshua Tree" while the use of synths on this one is more "Zooropa" or "Pop", if you know what I mean.

I know some of the more conservative fans of guitar bands tend to turn their backs towards them if they don't sound like guitar bands anymore.

Geir Hongro, progressive music fan.

On another note: the marvelous bit about the Pet Shop Boys' cover of "Viva La Vida" is they had the brains to reconfigure the oh-oh-ohs as a soccer anthem, suitable for the distant fields of Glastonbury. They didn't hesitate to go for the large gesture. Coldplay are too timid, too conflicted to risk vulgarity.

― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, October 26, 2011 10:17 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark

Neil Tennant on 'Viva La Vida': "They've written a Pet Shop Boys song!"

I'm going to have to dig out 'Behaviour' tonight, the synth sounds and chord progressions on some of those songs are to die for...

X-Post: Well, to me, it is largely about tunes. I have no problems with electronics. Not even with beats unless they get too dominant and take the attention away from the tune completely (but ballads shouldn't have beats, it must be added)

tell us more

Neil Tennant on 'Viva La Vida': "They've written a Pet Shop Boys song!"

It's a typical PSB trope: delusions of grandeur.

xpost: LOL!

"it must be added"

Okay, Geir, so how do you actually feel about the TUNES on this record? Surely even you've got to admit that in comparison to previous work this lacks their usual quota of 'anthemic choruses' (as you put it), and there is nothing on here that comes close to a 'Yellow'/'Clocks'/'Fix You'/'Viva La Vida' type of song for them!? Surely!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/ParaParaParadise_2ndMIX.jpg

WHOA!