marauder8112 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Coldplay Mylo Xyloto Album Review October 18, 2011 Coldplay now one of the biggest bands in the world if not the biggest, is on the verge of releasing their fifth album titled Mylo Xyloto. This release comes three years after the mega hit album Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends which reached number one on charts around the world and had breathed fresh air into a band that couldn’t get any bigger but instead become better. Many loyal fans of the bad may be driven away from this album because of its style and context, but Coldplay believes it is just another avenue for them to take and to expand their repertoire. Mylo Xyloto, or simply MX is a reflection of the band’s attitude at this point in their career and a culmination of their musical inspirations. Chris Martin, Johnny Buckland, Will Champion and Guy Berryman have decided to do an album that caters to their liking and although it may sound selfish, not to their fans. But what is heard in MX is arguably some of their best work to date with instant classics like Hurts Like Heaven, dance inducing Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, of the heartbreaking Up in Flames. This album reflects the band’s hip-hop and pop influences, but it without a doubt has Coldplay’s footprint throughout. Their edgy riffs and heart pounding melodies are scattered throughout the story-esq album making it another record that many listeners of music will come to know them for generations to come. 1) Mylo Xyloto- a short xylophone driven instrumental scattered with Chris pounding away at his piano and a tremolo picking guitar riff. If fades seamlessly into the first hit. 2) Hurts Like Heaven- a very upbeat song, reminiscent of Arcade Fire and their song “Keep the Car Running”. Johnny’s guitar riffs soar high and the vocal effects on Martin’s voice quickly show off the bands new style. “When you use your heart as a weapon, it hurts like heaven.” 3) Paradise- When listening to this song one may feel as if it could take them to paradise. However there lies beneath all the layers of synths and violins a haunting tone similar to Cemeteries of London. When the fuzz bass drops in the beginning, it is clear that Coldplay have taken a turn not necessarily for the worse but for a brighter and more interesting pop style. 4) Charlie Brown- probably the most Coldplayish sounding tune on the record. It has a bouncy sound with a liquidy guitar lick that is as smooth as the piano riff on Clocks. An instant classic and will be a staple in their live performances for many tours to come. 5) Us Against the World- Probably the most romantic song on the album, it instantly makes me think of my girlfriend and all of the great times we’ve had together, but also reminds me of the bad times and how we survive them together as one and become even stronger. Chris plays quietly on his acoustic and is later joined by each member of the band reflecting on the meaning of the song that they are all if this together no matter what happens. Epically romantic tune. 6) M.M.I.X. – a Brian Eno sounds cape that is a musical interlude to Teardrop 7) Every Teardrop is a Waterfall- This is of heaver hitters in the albums lineup. The club-like synth in the beginning gives way to another tasty guitar melody from Buckland which is kind of like the evil cousin of the riff in Strawberry Swing. The song’s steady beat then turns into a dance inducing tune. The theme of the album is most prevalent in the rebel-like lyrics of the song. The stop-start drum pattern makes the listener want to bang away on some makeshift drums just so they can feel part of the music. 8) Major Minus- a haunting song which is probably the evil related step brother to God Put a Smile Upon Your Face. Johnny’s guitar riffs are was again the centerpiece and are extremely edgy and loud. 9) U.F.O.- a short acoustically driven song. Martin finger picks his strings in a beautiful arrangement of chords and lyrics which echo the main musical theme of the album which is present in all of the musical interludes. 10) Princess of China- back to the heavy pop songs. The guitar takes a back seat on this one for a very heavy layer of synths and bass which is driven by Chris Martin’s lower registering vocals and Rhianna’s signature voice. Both come together and form a very solid song lyrically. It may sound shocking at first but it quickly becomes a catchy hit like Paradise and Teardrop. 11) Up in Flames- one of the simplest of the songs. Based around a slow machine like repetitive drum loop, Chris’s piano and lyrics take listeners back to what it was like when they first heard Fix You. It is so simple of a song but is the most likely to be caught in your head for hours after hearing it. 12) A Hopeful Transmission- the final interlude which is just an alteration of Mylo Xyloto. 13) Don’t Let it Break Your Heart- another upbeat song, probably related to Teardrop. It sounds like a Killers song. Fast guitar and piano riffs surround the duration of the song and raise your spirits to make you happy. There’s even a Kung Fu Panda 2 reference in the song. 14) Up With the Birds- Starts with Chris and his piano with chord structures similar to Christmas Lights and Wedding Bells. But them the second half of the song is driven by guitars strumming classic Coldplay-styled chords. Drums and bass join in with lyrics of optimism continuing throughout the song. The piano exterlude is so gorgeous it makes listeners beg for more. With the album ending on a promising note it is clear that Coldplay is far from finished writing albums regardless of what they say. The different styles of each of these songs represent where Coldplay has been before, where they are now and where they will be. Each album is known for a key element. Parachutes was an acoustic album, A Rush of Blood To the Head was a edgy piano driven album, X&Y was a electronically engineered era, Viva La Vida was an uplifting record based around beats and violin’s and now Mylo Xyloto is a culmination of all of these and new pop influences. It is a brave and bold new direction for the guys but once again they have reinvented themselves and have created another masterpiece of an album which will echo though time as a well crafted piece of music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justcold Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Simply Incredible After three listens, I have to say that the new album is simply incredible. After my so-so reaction to VLV, I am blown away by MX. Any doubts I had all but melted away as soon as I heard the first few minutes...I am an enormous Parachutes and AROBTTH fan, and MX is totally on par with them. For me, MX is AROBTTH for this decade. In fact, I would say that song for song MX might take the cake...Each song holds its own, and many blow my mind the way Politik and the end to Amsterdam did ten years ago... No need to do a track by track review...all of them explode in their own way... Overproduced??? How about perfectly produced!!! They have taken their sound and pushed it to its limit, the way I always wanted them to! Well done, guys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nature Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 They say it's like Actung Baby from U2 haha. I would rather compare it with the experiment faillure 'pop' from U2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
followchrist77 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 After three listens, I have to say that the new album is simply incredible. After my so-so reaction to VLV, I am blown away by MX. Any doubts I had all but melted away as soon as I heard the first few minutes...I am an enormous Parachutes and AROBTTH fan, and MX is totally on par with them. For me, MX is AROBTTH for this decade. In fact, I would say that song for song MX might take the cake...Each song holds its own, and many blow my mind the way Politik and the end to Amsterdam did ten years ago... No need to do a track by track review...all of them explode in their own way... Overproduced??? How about perfectly produced!!! They have taken their sound and pushed it to its limit, the way I always wanted them to! Well done, guys... Couldn't have said it better. Can't believe my 3 year wait ended in 45 minutes of an album, of which most of it I have already heard:(. Now I want to hear an EP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldplayforthewin Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 This album is incredible. It embraces a new era of music.. and I love how they have managed to change their sound yet still stay the same Brilliant Coldplay that we all know. And by the way, Charlie Brown is a MASTERPIECE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauCH Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Some reviews give it 2/5. :\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-para-parrotdies Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Where did the 9/10 come from btw? Metacritic has BBC giving Myxlo Xyloto an 8 out of 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randomnames Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I see no rating on the actual page of the review.. hmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest howyousawtheworld Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Some reviews give it 2/5. :\ I read 1 review giving it that and I don't ever want to view that web page again because it was worse than the arse end products of the tabloids. ADM cited the bbc as a 9/10 score. Reading the review that seems correct. Barely any criticism at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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