Entertainment Weekly Review C+

[Mimixxx]

 

Are Coldplay ''as hated as a band can be''? That's what frontman Chris Martin recently told EW. True, a Seattle woman once assaulted a man who wouldn't stop singing their mellow 2000 hit ''Yellow'' at a karaoke bar. (According to the bartender, it took several bystanders to hold her down before she was arrested.) But sold-out stadiums full of glow-stick-waving fans would disagree. So it's strange to hear Martin insist that it's ''us against the world'' on Mylo Xyloto — and even stranger to hear those fighting words couched within the same kind of expansive, soaring guitar-pop that's so adored by the world they're supposedly bucking against.

 

Maybe this is a new strategy: With help from electro-ambience whiz Brian Eno, who co-helmed 2008's Grammy-winning Viva La Vida, they're making a Coldplay record that sounds a little less like Coldplay. It's telling that the best stuff echoes other artists: ''Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall'' cops its melody from the Sacados' ''Ritmo de la Noche,'' and the Rihanna-featuring ''Princess of China'' has the same dubby drums you'd find on, well, a Rihanna track. Pensive piano ballad ''Up With the Birds'' even borrows lyrics from Leonard Cohen's ''Anthem.'' There's some great arena-ready uplift here, but then, you can get that on a Snow Patrol record. What's missing is the innovation that made Viva La Vida so dynamic. (Where has that Persian dulcimer gone?) The world doesn't seem sick of Coldplay, but maybe they're sick of themselves. C+

 

Download These:

Chiming Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall

New-wave-y Hurts Like Heaven

 

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20538072,00.html

[Mimixxx]

The reviews are certainly becoming more mixed.

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

Download Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall?? Last time I checked the date wasn't the 1st April.

 

The reviews are about as polarized as you can get. Many incredible scores, many not so good scores. Certainly different from the more consensual reviews for Viva La Vida.

 

Don't know if I want to read about a woman getting mad at someone singing Yellow. Surely there's more interesting things to say in this world?!

[Tryptophan]

Mostly true, yes.

[Major_Love]

Mostly true, yes.

 

Mostly wrong in my opinion.

[Lore]

wrong because it's not an A+ review?

 

fangirls will never change.

[Major_Love]

wrong because it's not an A+ review?

 

fangirls will never change.

 

True because the old-fashioned, conservative Coldplay-Fans who think they are the die-hard core while listening to Such a Rush and Co. don't like something with move forward character? The same question...

 

Wrong for me because of the sentence that Mylo Xyloto missed innovation in comparism to Viva. Sorry, but against Mylo Viva looks like the kind and shy daughter in terms of experimentation and variety. With all the different colors, genres and details we can clearly state this. (That doesn't mean that you eventually prefer Viva).

[Tonsu]

I'm tired of reading all these half-hearted excuses for journalism, and have no idea why they deserve a thread each. Just spam imho.

 

Maybe we should have two review forums; one for serious reviews from (industry-respected) publications, and the other for pap like this?

[icedude2010]

I think the part that is wrong is: 'It's telling that the best stuff echoes other artists: ''Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall'' cops its melody from the Sacados' ''Ritmo de la Noche,'' and the Rihanna-featuring ''Princess of China'' has the same dubby drums you'd find on, well, a Rihanna track. Pensive piano ballad ''Up With the Birds'' even borrows lyrics from Leonard Cohen's ''Anthem.'''

 

I mean.. who the hell has heard of Ritmo de la Noche before this? And I haven't hera 'Anthem' before either, and it's only a hanful of lyrics that were taken from it. She's saying that PoC, ETIAW, and UWTB are the 3 best songs on the album? And that they don't actually sound like Coldplay? True for ETIAW and PoC, but UWTB is classic Coldplay (with a handful of borrowed lyrics...)

 

Seems like she is trying way too hard to find reasons for hating it.

 

It seems like the author

[Major_Love]

I think the part that is wrong is: 'It's telling that the best stuff echoes other artists: ''Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall'' cops its melody from the Sacados' ''Ritmo de la Noche,'' and the Rihanna-featuring ''Princess of China'' has the same dubby drums you'd find on, well, a Rihanna track. Pensive piano ballad ''Up With the Birds'' even borrows lyrics from Leonard Cohen's ''Anthem.'''

 

I mean.. who the hell has heard of Ritmo de la Noche before this? And I haven't hera 'Anthem' before either, and it's only a hanful of lyrics that were taken from it. She's saying that PoC, ETIAW, and UWTB are the 3 best songs on the album? And that they don't actually sound like Coldplay? True for ETIAW and PoC, but UWTB is classic Coldplay (with a handful of borrowed lyrics...)

 

Seems like she is trying way too hard to find reasons for hating it.

 

It seems like the author

 

Completely agree with this!

[Lore]

True because the old-fashioned, conservative Coldplay-Fans who think they are the die-hard core while listening to Such a Rush and Co. don't like something with move forward character? The same question...

 

Wrong for me because of the sentence that Mylo Xyloto missed innovation in comparism to Viva. Sorry, but against Mylo Viva looks like the kind and shy daughter in terms of experimentation and variety. With all the different colors, genres and details we can clearly state this. (That doesn't mean that you eventually prefer Viva).

 

wrong? an album review is not a scientific paper.

[Major_Love]

wrong? an album review is not a scientific paper.

What do you want from me. You said I'm a fangirl and thats why I don't support the bad review on Mylo. By the way its such a shame for a member with so much postings to come up with "uuuhhh you blind fangirl...".

 

I explained you why I think that the review isn't good, because there are some logical errors and so it seems a bit like they trying to find something to critizise. But thats just my impression and I always stated that only I can't support this review.

 

Don't get me wrong. I'm aware that this album will polarize and its ok if someone don't like it. But if he/she feels so and decides to write a review, please be serious and a bit more fair.

[Mimixxx]

I'm tired of reading all these half-hearted excuses for journalism, and have no idea why they deserve a thread each. Just spam imho.

 

Maybe we should have two review forums; one for serious reviews from (industry-respected) publications, and the other for pap like this?

 

I can assure you, since I spend most of my time cleaning spam up on here, that I'm not spamming.

 

It states clearly that it's an Entertainment Weekly review, so it's not like anyone is going be lured into thinking they're opening a review from an esteemed musical magazine.

 

The forum is extremely busy at the moment, we're not in a position to start compartmentalising reviews. Eventually things will get cleaned up, but for now, in the midst of an album coming out it's easier to have things where they can be seen to avoid duplicates.

[Lore]

What do you want from me. You said I'm a fangirl and thats why I don't support the bad review on Mylo. By the way its such a shame for a member with so much postings to come up with "uuuhhh you blind fangirl...".

 

I explained you why I think that the review isn't good, because there are some logical errors and so it seems a bit like they trying to find something to critizise. But thats just my impression and I always stated that only I can't support this review

 

 

logical errors ha! I'm sure that you wouldn't criticize a review like this

 

"everything in MX is perfect they're the best band ever bla bla bla"

 

saying that it's wrong is such a strong word for a music review that's why I think your comment was stupid and blind. A review is an opinion just like yours, if you think that it's stupid go ahead, but... wrong?

 

 

"such a shame for a member like me?" hahaha sorry for having an opinion about the band and their fans

[Major_Love]

logical errors ha! I'm sure that you wouldn't criticize a review like this

 

"everything in MX is perfect they're the best band ever bla bla bla"

 

saying that it's wrong is such a strong word for a music review that's why I think your comment was stupid and blind.

 

 

"such a shame for a member like me?" hahaha sorry for having an opinion about the band and their fans

 

You don't want to understand my point, right?

If the review would have said: "Ok, very produced album and there are too many effects and thats why I don't like it and give it a C+" everything is alright. But there are some sentences like the comparism to Viva or with the best songs which aren't coldplayish and so on which creates the feeling inside me that its more a "I want to hate the new record and I desperately look out for some reason". And the statement about Viva and Mylo and the innovation is clearly wrong. Its a fact. I just have to look at the variety of musical genres, of details, different instruments and the vocal effects. There is much more innovation on Mylo than on Viva - but tis circumstance can be seen as bad, I know, and thats ok for me.

 

I know that this album will polarize and so I accept everyone who don't like it, but they shouldn't tell lies, thats all.

[Lore]

there isn't much innovation on MX in my opinion, innovation it's not about getting a girl to sing a song or adding weird sounds, everybody does that. The interludes could be easily be part of other songs and innovation is not about the number of instruments used. Autotune? voice effects? check the pop charts these days.

[Major_Love]

...

 

Goodbye and good night.

[Tash]

Goodbye and good night.

 

You're leaving?

[Lore]

:awesome:

[Our Escape]

Why do people keep saying they used Autotune lol? And why the hell are people fighting over a review? I mean its one person's opinion they just get to post it on a major blog/site. Personally this review seems a little whiny to me... and calling ETIAW and PoC the best songs on the album seems odd, but idk to each his own. I like the album and no one especially from EW is gonna change that.

[Lore]

I hate ETIAW, and this review is a bit stupid, but I also think that is stupid when fangirls scream and cry because someone write something negative about coldplay. When they read a 10/10 review they're all like OMG THIS IS SO GOOD I AGREE reviews are awesome bla bla bla but then they read a 3/10 review and say "blah, who cares about music reviews, they're all wrong".

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

Arguing over a review? Seriously.

[Our Escape]

I hate ETIAW, and this review is a bit stupid, but I also think that is stupid when fangirls scream and cry because someone write something negative about coldplay. When they read a 10/10 review they're all like OMG THIS IS SO GOOD I AGREE reviews are awesome bla bla bla but then they read a 3/10 review and say "blah, who cares about music reviews, they're all wrong".

 

I think the big problem is that we haven't seen a GOOD review of the album that is Negative. Most of them go like this "Too much synth, too over produced, too much stuff not coldplay, Rihanna" They don't go into any detail and seem to all complain about the easiest things to complain about. Go into detail, hell do a track by track bad review but put effort into it...

[Mackplay]

C+, seriously EW?!

I think I'm going to cancel my subscription. Right now, I'm not happy with EW, a review without even mentioning HLH or CB.

[Major_Love]

Right, everyones taste is different and its everyones right to express your opinion.

 

As I said at the beginning I just can't support the view because I see it the other way round (I love Mylo Xyloto and Viva and AROBTTH and Parachutes). But for me, some sentences of the review are just wrong and so the explanation why Mylo is bad in his/her view seems a bit ridicilous for me. It seems like he/she is looking out for some reason to dislike the album. This is the only thing which I critizise. The rest is personal view and I have to accept it and I have no problem to accept it because I see how Mylo polarize the people and that is what I predicted months ago.