Ghost Stories previews + Magic reviews

[Tash]

Coldplay Releases New Song & Announces New Album Release Date

 

As Beyonce, Kid Cudi, and now Coldplay have shown, telling people that you’re going to release a new single beforehand is for the birds. Listen to Coldplay’s brand new jam — ‘Magic’ — below!

Coldplay is officially back! Less than a week after the sudden release of their new song “Midnight,” the British band struck again by quietly releasing “Magic” — the official first single from their new album Ghost Stories — with little fanfare.

 

Coldplay definitely seems to be revamping their sound a bit for their sixth studio album.

 

“Magic” is romantic, atmospheric, and a bit bass-heavy for Coldplay, while “Midnight” is a huge departure from the stadium songs that made them an international hit. Still, we’re thinking fans are going to eat “Magic” up.

 

Of course, “Magic” wasn’t the only bomb dropped by Coldplay last night.

 

The band also revealed that Ghost Stories would arrive on May 19, and that fans who preordered the album would receive an instant download of “Magic.” Ghost Stories will be the band’s sixth studio album, and their first since 2011′s Mylo Xyloto. A deluxe edition of Ghost Stories, featuring three bonus tracks, will be available exclusively from Target.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay release single from album

 

Coldplay have unveiled details of their sixth album, to be called Ghost Stories, as they released the first single to be taken from it.

 

The band made new track Magic available this morning, the first new material go to go on sale from the nine-track album which will come out on May 19.

 

The quartet's last album Mylo Xyloto came out in October 2011 and was followed by a lengthy world tour.

 

The cover artwork for Ghost Stories was posted on the band's website to accompany today's announcement and it features a pair of angel's wings with sketched figures contained within.

 

Last week Coldplay surprised fans by posting the video for another new track, Midnight, on YouTube. It also features on the album.

 

The group are expected to debut their new songs at the iTunes Festival at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, on March 11.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay: the discreet return of the biggest band in the world

The British stadium-rock ensemble quietly release a new single

 

Without fuss or fanfare, Coldplay have quietly released a new track, Magic, and announced a new album, Ghost Stories. A gentle, understated ballad with no accompanying video, it represents a very discreet return for such a big band, but by the summer, I suspect, Coldplay will be inescapable.

 

Coldplay’s sixth album will arrive on May 19 (via Parlophone Records). Fans who pre-order Ghost Stories will receive an instant download of the new single (which can be streamed here). It is a little gem of a pop song, riding gently on a deep rolling bass and tingling guitar shimmer, with Chris Martin crooning softly about magic and love, relying on qualities of fragility and sincerity to keep triteness at bay.

 

It follows the even more subtle release last week of a single track, Midnight, an ambient, autotuned mood piece accompanied by a simple but atmospheric night vision video. With both of these taster releases lacking the epic grandeur of previous hits, the implication is that arguably the biggest rock band of the 21st century (certainly in terms of hit singles, successive multi-million-selling albums and sustained worldwide appeal) are in a restrained, introspective mood. Or maybe they are just building up slowly. An internet broadcast live appearance opening the iTunes festival at SXSW in Texas on March 11 will reveal more.

 

A softly, softly approach might be considered unusual in the context of anthemic stadium rock, yet it is perfectly judged for this moment in the music business. More than that, the sound strikes me as just right in a world that seems to have turned its back on guitars.

 

Despite the assertion of Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys at The Brits that “rock and roll will never die”, loud, attacking guitar music has been conspicuously absent from the singles charts for years now. And in a vicious commercial circle, what doesn’t sell doesn’t get access to popular radio, which is still considered the most important factor when it comes to hit-making. Coldplay may look like a rock band, perform like a rock band, and have the kind of visionary scale and purposeful pride of a great rock band, but their keyboard-led sound and Chris Martin’s classic songwriting instincts have allowed them to stay in tune with shifts towards a more electronic approach favoured by the digital pop generation. There’s certainly nothing in Coldplay’s comeback to scare radio programmers. Yet Coldplay haven’t gone directly to radio. For now, they are holding back, letting social networks do the work.

 

It is interesting to compare and contrast their approach with their heroes U2, who have been gearing up for their own return. Bono has made comments about both his nervousness and U2’s eagerness to re-establish their status as the world’s greatest rock band, the implication being that there is a lot at stake here, continued relevance or a slide into retro nostalgia. After a long absence (U2 last released an album in 2009, Coldplay in 2011) the Irish band emerged with a track, Invisible, previewed during the US Super Bowl for maximum impact, and given away as a free charity-based download, with a brash, triumphalist live video. Produced by Danger Mouse, the song has an electronic pulse that attempts to realign U2 with the new pop sensibility. And yet everything about it seems big, forceful and, consequently, oddly old-fashioned compared with Coldplay’s self-confident mysteriousness.

 

It is perhaps unfair to characterise this as a battle of the bands, Coldplay versus U2, for surely there is room for more than one great stadium-rock ensemble at a time. But it may be a battle for the soul of rock. When it comes to bragging rights about size and popularity, will Coldplay’s subtle approach see off the old-school drama of U2? If rock is not dead, it may be changing beyond recognition.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay Work Low-Key 'Magic' Ahead of 'Ghost Stories' Album

Successor to 2011's 'Mylo Xyloto' drops May 19

 

Coldplay showed off their outdoorsy side recently with "Midnight," a quiet, Auto-Tuned song that bears a surprising similarity to the woodsy tone poems of Bon Iver. Of course, a new track (and new video, directed by Mary Wigmore) signals a new album, which Coldplay have now officially announced. Chris Martin and co. will follow-up 2011's Mylo Xyloto with Ghost Stories, a nine-track effort that will be released globally on May 19 via Parlophone/Atlantic.

 

"Midnight" appears on Ghost Stories, but is not the LP's official lead single. That distinction belongs to "Magic," a low-key meditation on love that leaves behind the multi-colored, stadium-sized grandeur of Mylo Xyloto for soft-edged sonics that mostly look inward — save for a chirping vocal refrain from Martin. Listen to "Magic" via the video above. (Also worth noting: "Atlas," Coldplay's Golden Globe-nominated, Oscar-snubbed contribution to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack, does not feature on Ghost Stories.)

 

Pre-orders of Coldplay's sixth full-length are currently available through iTunes. Fans who reserve the record will receive an instant free download of "Magic." Find the Ghost Stories cover art and track list below. And for an early look at Coldplay's new material, be sure to tune in to the band's March 11 performance at the first-ever iTunes Festival at SXSW in Austin. The concert will be live-streamed and available on demand through the iTunes Store, iTunes Radio, Apple TV, and on Apple devices.

 

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[Tash]

COLDPLAY ANNOUNCES ALBUM RELEASE DATE & DEBUTS NEW SONG THAT'S JUST SO THEM

 

Three years after, Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay has announced that the release date for their newest album, Ghost Stories, will be May 19. This news comes after Coldplay debuted the song “Midnight” on Feb. 25 in a “surprise release,” but really, does that phrase even have meaning in a post Beyoncé ’s Beyoncé world? “Midnight” was released along with a music video and has been described a being “moody” and having a Bon Iver-like sound. Along with the album announcement, Coldplay released a second song from the album called “Magic.”

 

Unlike “Midnight,” “Magic” sounds very typically Coldplay. There is a pretty heavy and constant beat, but as soon as the piano comes in and joins Chris Martin’s singing, there’s no doubt that this is Coldplay. The song compares love to magic (“And if you were to ask me/ After all that we’ve been through/ If I still believe in magic/ Well, yes I do.”) which is a pretty simple idea and the song isn’t the most spectacular thing you’ve ever heard, but I will say, it’s calming and it’s easy to listen to. And if those two things aren’t what you look for from Coldplay, then what do you look for?

 

The band also released the album’s track list and judging by the song titles it seems like it will have a mystical theme. It is called Ghost Stories after all.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay Announce 'Ghost Stories' Album, Drop 2nd New Song "Magic"

The British pop superstars give us another taste of their officially-announced sixth album

 

Coldplay quickly followed up last week's surprise new track "Midnight" with another single and concrete details about their sixth album. The LP is called Ghost Stories and will drop May 19 on Parlophone/Atlantic.

 

The new song, "Magic," is more traditionally structured than the atmospheric "Midnight" and suggests that Coldplay's new album may sound different than anything we've heard from them before.

 

Coldplay is a bombastic band—even their songs without massive, festival-ready choruses are sweeping and grand, aiming skyward. But "Magic" is soft and insular, with clean, deliberate guitar riffs and quiet, clicking drums that recall The xx. Chris Martin and crew are one of the biggest bands in the world, but they seem to be striving to sound like an indie band.

 

Ghost Stories figures to hold even more surprises.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay – Magic

 

Coldplay makes their way back to our newsfeed today. After unleashing an interesting new track a few weeks back, the band returns today with word of a new album, and another new track for our ears to devour. The new track is called “Magic” and is more along the lines of what we expected, a smooth, refreshing number packed full of smooth melodic elements and refreshing drum work.

 

Mr. Martin’s smooth, unique vocals work effortlessly with the instrumental, making for something loving, deep, and dope for our ears to enjoy. The track will be apart of their upcoming new album, Ghost Stories, which is due out May 19th. Check out the impressive new track after the jump and speak your mind on it down below. Be sure to keep your eyes locked here for more coming from Coldplay as they lead up to their upcoming new album!

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay’s New Single Is Actually Really Good

 

If the first song off Coldplay’s next album sounded like a bad parody of Bon Iver, then their first single sounds like The xx—in the best way. While “Midnight” was mush-mouthed and self-serious—the video had Chris Martin dancing with forest animals while making less sense than the fox—“Magic” aims only to be a hushed, simple pop song, and it’s all the prettier for it.

 

Over a spare electronic drumbeat and what sounds like a single, steadily plucked, reverb-heavy bass string, Martin sings in almost a whisper: “And if you were to ask me/ After all that we’ve been through/ Do you still believe in magic?/ Yes, I do.”

 

After two or three minutes, what you might think of as Coldplay’s own sound enters the mix: An acoustic guitar comes strumming in, Joshua Tree-like, and Martin—as he does at the climax of all good Coldplay songs—transitions up into his falsetto. Do I still believe in Coldplay? Sometimes, yes, I do.

 

You can purchase “Magic” now on iTunes. Coldplay’s next album, Ghost Stories, which will feature both “Magic” and “Midnight,” is out May 19.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay To Release New Album

 

Coldplay is back at it with new music and plans to release their next album. The British band announced this week that their album, "Ghost Stories," will hit the stores on May 19, according to Huffington Post.

This album will be Coldplay's first since 2011 when "Mylo Xyloto" topped the charts all around the world and went multi-platinum. The album was even nominated for a Grammy.

 

This morning the band even took to Twitter, where they posted a picture of the track list for "Ghost Stories," as well as the lyrics for its first single, "Magic."

 

In true Coldplay fashion, the single is calm and catchy. With the beat behind the track, it takes a bit more of a pop sound. The lyrics in the song are repetitive, making it more of a song for the background. Perhaps "Magic" will be a good indicator of the band's new album, but then again maybe it's just one piece of the puzzle.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay - Coldplay announce new album Ghost Stories

 

Coldplay have announced their sixth studio album is called 'Ghost Stories' and will be released on May 19, preceded by single 'Magic'.

 

Coldplay have announced their new album is called 'Ghost Stories'.

 

The super-group - comprised of frontman Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion - will release their sixth studio LP on May 19 and it will be preceded by single 'Magic'.

 

Coldplay have also revealed a full tracklisting for the album, which includes 'Midnight' - the Jon Hopkins produced track which they streamed on their official site in February.

 

Fans can now pre-order the hotly-anticipated release from iTunes worldwide and anyone who pre-orders the album will receive an instant download of the single 'Magic'.

 

The 'Midnight' video was directed by Mary Wigmore shows Chris and his bandmates walking through a woodland, and the black and white promo later flashes different colours and a fox moves among the grass.

 

The electronic track - which features Chris' voice put through a vocoder - is a big departure from the band's usual melodies and big choruses.

 

Coldplay have also been announced as one of the acts performing at at the iTunes Festival at SXSW in Austin, Texas. They will open the festival on March 11. The performance will stream live and on-demand worldwide for free via the iTunes Store.

 

Speaking about the upcoming gig, Will said: ''We're really looking forward to the first ever iTunes Festival in the US, and are thrilled to be asked to play on the opening night. It's a great honour for our band and we hope everyone has a fantastic time.''

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay Drop New Single, ‘Magic,’ Announce Tracklist + Release Date for New Album ‘Ghost Stories’

 

Coldplay have been busy gearing up for the release of their sixth studio album, ‘Ghost Stories,’ recently surprising the world with a new song and video, ‘Midnight.’ And now the British band have even more exciting news: they just dropped another new tune, ‘Magic,’ and have announced the tracklist and release date for ‘Ghost Stories.’

 

‘Magic,’ has a different feel that the typical ‘Coldplay’ song. For one, it is more upbeat (which is helped by the constant drum beat in the background), and is not as piano-based as their typical fare. However, it still features Chris Martin’s distinctive voice on lead, so there’s no mistaking that it’s Coldplay.

 

‘Ghost Stories’ is set to come out on May 18, but fans can pre-order it on iTunes. In addition to ‘Midnight’ and ‘Magic,’ the record will feature seven new songs, with intriguing titles such as a ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ and ‘O.’

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay to Work Piano-Driven Magic on New Album

 

Mellow rockers Coldplay recently said that they will release their first record since 2011′s Mylo Xyloto. Ghost Stories will come out May 19, the band announced Sunday, during which they also unveiled the album’s first single, “Magic.” The band also posted a full track list for Ghost Stories along with the lyrics for “Magic.”

 

The song sounds like typical Coldplay, a romantic and piano-driven pop track lead by singer Chris Martin’s familiar vocals with the potential to become a summer radio staple.

 

The news comes about a week after a mysterious clip for the new song, “Midnight,” was posted on YouTube. The song is more experimental than Coldplay’s previous work and definitely is not as radio-friendly as “Magic.” Martin’s distinctive vocals are obscured by a weird effect, and the song lacks one of the band’s typically bombastic choruses. The trippy video features the band walking through a forest, filmed in negative. “Midnight” was released without indication as to whether it would be part of a larger work, but the track listing shows that the song will be the fifth track on the album.

 

Ghost Stories is being released on Parlophone Records. It will be available on iTunes, and a deluxe CD version with three bonus tracks will be sold at Target (if you’re one of the few who still buys CDs).

 

Coldplay is also set to be one of the headliners for next week’s iTunes Festival and South by Southwest. It was announced at the end of last month that Apple had decided to move the iTunes festival to the U.S. for the first time and hold it as a part of Austin’s annual South by Southwest festival, which will kick off the summer festival season next week.

 

Coldplay will play at the festival on March 11; the performance will be available to stream for free via iTunes. Coldplay members told the Associated Press they were “thrilled” to be chosen to play the first night: “It’s a great honor for our band and we hope everyone has a fantastic time.”

 

Other bands that will play South by Southwest and have their performances stream on iTunes include Imagine Dragons, Pitbull, and Willie Nelson. Other tour dates have not yet been announced.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay Sneaks Out Singles in Advance of New Album, ‘Ghost Stories’

 

Until last week's release of "Midnight," Coldplay has been fairly quiet. Aside from the track "Atlas," released in the summer of 2013 on "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" soundtrack, Chris Martin and company had been missing in action.

 

But now Coldplay is making up for lost time, announcing a release date for its new album, and dropping yet another new track. Coldplay's sixth album, "Ghost Stories," is due on May 19 and the first single from the album, "Magic," is available now for streaming and from iTunes for purchase or as an immediate premium if you pre-order the album. If physical product is more your bag, Target will issue a deluxe CD with three bonus tracks.

 

While the delicate and fey "Midnight" earned the band comparisons with indie stalwart Bon Iver, on "Magic," the band cranks it up a few notches. Driven by a minimalist beat, the band ingeniously adds more layers as the track progresses, with Martin's voice reaching new highs. Still, we wouldn't exactly call it a rocker.

 

Despite what you might think from the first two tracks, the album is not entirely made up of songs with single word titles beginning with the letter "M." You'll find the complete track listing below and might even hear a few more tracks from the new album when Coldplay headlines the opening night of the first U.S. iTunes Festival at SXSW on March 11. Even if you're not planning to travel to Austin for the festival, you can catch it live streaming or on-demand for free via the iTunes Store.

 

And by the way, record-label geeks take note: "Ghost Stories" will be Coldplay's first album for the Warner Music Group, as Parlaphone, the British label the Beatles once recorded for, was sold by EMI to the Warner Music Group last year with the rights to Coldplay a major part of the deal.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay releases new single 'Magic,' from album due May 19

 

First, there was "Midnight"; now there's "Magic."

 

After surprise-releasing a so-so new song last week that suggested frontman Chris Martin had been bro-ing down with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Coldplay dropped another fresh tune on the Internet late Sunday, one that has Pop & Hiss considerably more excited about what appears to be the English band's new direction.

 

"Magic" is billed as the official lead single from "Ghost Stories," Coldplay's sixth studio disc, due May 19. The album will follow up "Mylo Xyloto," which came out in 2011.

 

Like "Midnight," "Magic" is decidedly lower-key than earlier Coldplay songs, with Martin's delicate falsetto floating over a muted drum-machine beat. But where the first track never provides much beyond a vibe, this one offers up a sumptuous vocal melody -- and a surprisingly soulful one at that -- as Martin insists, "I don't want anybody else but you."

 

Next week Coldplay is slated to headline the first night of Apple's iTunes Festival at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas. Pop & Hiss will be there, so check back for a report on the band's performance.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay set to release 'Ghost Stories' May 19

 

After slipping out a surprise tune, “Midnight,” last week, Coldplay will release its sixth studio album May 19.

 

“Ghost Stories,” the title of which helps explain the haunting video for “Midnight” that came out last week, will be the group’s first album on Atlantic, following its label, Parlophone’s, switch from EMI in the U.S. to Atlantic.

 

The British group will undoubtedly preview music from the album, including official first single, “Magic,” during its March 11 performance at US iTunes Festival at SXSW.

 

While not as extreme as the heavily processed “Midnight,” “Magic” reveals a different side of Coldplay. Juxtaposed against a shimmery, mid-tempo synthetic beat, Chris Martin sings about being addicted to a person (wife Gwyneth Paltrow, perhaps?) , even though she’s broken him in half. Martin’s delivery at times seems almost Dylan-esque in the relatively slight song until he breaks into his falsetto during the bridge. It’s certainly not the over-the-top grandiose Coldplay most of us are familiar with. It's intriguing more than it is interesting.

 

"Ghost Stories" will be Coldplay's first album since 2011's "Mylo Xyloto."

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay Announces New Album Ghost Stories

 

A few days after Coldplay released the trippy single “Midnight” (and after Paste exchanged a few emails about it), the British rock band has announced its sixth album: Ghost Stories, which is set for a May 19 release.

 

To announce the record, Coldplay is streaming a new track titled “Magic.” Those who pre-order Ghost Stories will receive an instant download of the new single, which you can listen to below.

 

Don’t fret— “Magic” doesn’t have the same experimental feel of “Midnight” that disturbed so many. It’s a return to the same pop romance you’d expect with Coldplay.

 

Ghost Stories is the group’s first album since 2011’s Mylo Xyloto. They also released the song “Atlas” from the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire last August.

 

Coldplay hasn’t announced any tour dates yet, but will be performing at South by Southwest on March 11. Fans can watch the performance as it streams on iTunes.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay reveal 'Ghost Stories' album details, share new song 'Magic'

 

Less than a week after they surprised fans with a new song and video, Coldplay has released another new track and revealed details about the forthcoming album from which they’re culled.

 

Last night, Coldplay released audio for “Magic,” the second song from their long-awaited follow-up to 2011’s “Mylo Xyloto.” Coldplay’s sixth album is entitled Ghost Stories and it will be released on May 19. The nine-song album is now available for pre-order on iTunes, where fans can download the new song “Magic,” as well as through Target, which is releasing a “deluxe” version of the album with three exclusive bonus tracks.

 

Based on the haunting sound of the first two songs they’ve shared, Ghost Stories seems like a fitting title for the album. As their career has progressed, Coldplay has shown interest in the artsier side of pop and both songs find the British group moving increasingly in that direction. The Jon Hopkins-produced “Midnight” is basically a straight-up ambient song that sounds a lot like Bon Iver in moody electronic mode. Chris Martin’s multi-tracked, processed vocals form the song’s eerie center, as electronic ticks rush past like dashed lines on a highway. For a group that’s never shied away from bombast and grandeur, it’s a surprisingly restrained song that is, ironically, probably the most daring thing the group has ever done.

 

With it’s muted bass line and programmed drums, the new song “Magic” also strongly recalls another indie touchstone: Radiohead. Although the lyrics may touch on the sentimentalism and romantic whimsy that’s characterized much of Coldplay’s music in the past (“Call it magic/ call it true/ I call it magic/ when I’m with you,” Martin sings), the arrangement is wonderfully understated. Like many of their best songs, the lilting beauty of “Magic” packs a powerful emotional punch and although the Radiohead influence is an unambiguous point of reference, it’s nevertheless encouraging to see the group continue to evolve at a point in their careers when it would be easy to retreat.

 

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[Tash]

COLDPLAY ANNOUNCES ALBUM RELEASE DATE & DEBUTS NEW SONG THAT'S JUST SO THEM

 

Three years after, Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay has announced that the release date for their newest album, Ghost Stories, will be May 19. This news comes after Coldplay debuted the song “Midnight” on Feb. 25 in a “surprise release,” but really, does that phrase even have meaning in a post Beyoncé ’s Beyoncé world? “Midnight” was released along with a music video and has been described a being “moody” and having a Bon Iver-like sound. Along with the album announcement, Coldplay released a second song from the album called “Magic.”

 

Unlike “Midnight,” “Magic” sounds very typically Coldplay. There is a pretty heavy and constant beat, but as soon as the piano comes in and joins Chris Martin’s singing, there’s no doubt that this is Coldplay. The song compares love to magic (“And if you were to ask me/ After all that we’ve been through/ If I still believe in magic/ Well, yes I do.”) which is a pretty simple idea and the song isn’t the most spectacular thing you’ve ever heard, but I will say, it’s calming and it’s easy to listen to. And if those two things aren’t what you look for from Coldplay, then what do you look for?

 

The band also released the album’s track list and judging by the song titles it seems like it will have a mystical theme. It is called Ghost Stories after all.

 

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[Tash]

Hear This: Coldplay - Magic

 

With last week's 'Midnight' Coldplay indicated a new minimalist electronic pop approach to their new material. This morning's release of 'Magic' further confirms the direction for next album Ghost Stories.

 

Coldplay - 'Magic'On 'Midnight' High octaves and Martin’s eerie vocoded vocals heavily echo the style of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, implying an ambivalence to Coldplay’s future genre.

 

Today’s release, however, allows the older fans to remember exactly why, from Parachutes to the present, they keep returning.

 

The band’s catchy melodies and Martin’s lyrical ease still prevail alongside their fresher dimension, altogether allowing the song to blossom into a welcoming prospect.

 

With both releases, Ghost Stories seems thematically in good stead.

 

Whilst 2011’s Mylo Xyloto was encompassed with an upbeat, playful euphoria, the two new releases forecast a more ambient and provoking album from the future Coldplay.

 

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[Tash]

COLDPLAY DROP NEW TRACK 'MAGIC' AHEAD OF SIXTH ALBUM RELEASE

 

British rock icons Coldplay have unveiled a brand new track, with their sixth studio album set for release in the next few months.

 

Magic is the first official single to be lifted off the record, titled Ghost Stories. The LP, their first since 2011's Mylo Xyloto, will be released through Parlophone Records on Monday 19 May.

 

The single is a slight change of pace from a lot of the band's most recent work - it's atmospheric, yet chilled and Chris Martin's usually swirling vocals are a little more subdued.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay "Magic"

 

Coldplay announced a new album this week. It's called Ghost Stories and it's due out in May. To go along with that announcement the band released a new single called Magic. Mylo Xyloto was a bright and energetic record. From what we've heard of Ghost Stories with Magic, the new album will be the opposite. Coldplay has been at their best with layers and layers: Magic is simple and implements a lot of space. The single is brand new so it's too soon to pass permanent judgement, but an early prediction is that a second single will find it's way out at the end of April.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay Announces New Album Ghost Stories Coming In May

The band also dropped a new track called "Magic" and hit No. 2 on the charts in the UK

 

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Coldplay dominating the world, but it looks like Coldplay-less music charts will soon to be a thing of the past. The British rock group announced that its sixth album, a follow-up to 2011′s Mylo Xyloto, will be a nine-track record called Ghost Stories and will hit stores on May 19. The band promptly shot to No. 2 on the U.K.’s iTunes list.

 

Along with the album announcement, Coldplay also released the audio for a new track, called “Magic,” on YouTube. Fans who pre-order Ghost Stories on iTunes are able to download the track now, which helps to explain the jump in the charts almost three months before the album’s release.

 

Just last week, Coldplay released a new track from the album, called “Midnight,” which is a haunting, Bon Iver-esque pivot from their usual sound. “Magic,” however, is more classic Coldplay with Chris Martin’s signature vocals, which should thrill fans.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay Has a Few New Tricks on “Magic”: Listen

Something old and something new

 

Coldplay aroused a lot of curiosity last week by dropping a new single out of the blue, the frosty, minimal “Midnight,” detached from the announcement of a new album. Thankfully, the British quartet weren’t content to leave their fans hanging for long: they announced their upcoming sixth full-length Ghost Stories (due for release May 19) last night, along with another new single. “Magic” isn’t quite the hard left turn that seemed to be brewing in the wake of “Midnight,” but it does hint at a few new tricks up the band’s sleeve, with a simple, brooding beat-and-guitar intro that’s more familiar in the hands of younger compatriots like the xx.

 

It blooms from there into a climax built from familiar components — stadium-sized guitar leads, Chris Martin’s indelible falsetto — that have anchored Coldplay’s work for a decade, making “Magic” a successful marriage of old and new. It remains to be seen whether Ghost Stories will hold more of the same.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay fails to impress with early release of two tracks

 

Fans who may have gotten excited by Coldplay’s release of “Atlas” from the “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” soundtrack may be disappointed with the two songs the band released from their upcoming album “Ghost Stories” that drops May 19.

 

Though “Atlas” is reminiscent of classic Coldplay, long gone are the days of incomparable ballads such as “The Scientist,” “Shiver” and “In My Place.”

 

The band is changing the sound yet again, and seems to be pulling their inspiration from Imogen Heap and Bon Iver with the band’s new songs “Midnight” and “Magic.”

 

In fact, “Midnight” sounds eerily similar to Bon Iver’s “Holocene,” as lead singer Chris Martin sings into music’s death trap: auto-tune.

 

This is not the first time Coldplay has changed their sound and experimented with their music. With every album release there was always a growth and change in their sound. However, this time the change is too dramatic and not for the better.

 

With consistently flawless live performances, if there is one modern singer that could have spared using auto-tune, it’s Martin. Yet, even he has succumbed to the trend that puts tone-deaf pop stars on top of the charts.

 

Though “Magic” is not a Bon Iver rip-off, there is a lot of Heap with just a dash of Martin thrown in. Again fans may have a “Have I heard this before?” moment and then listen to Heap’s older work, such as “Headlock,” and may discover “Magic” is exactly what it would sound like if Heap were a man.

 

Martin said “Magic” is the official first single of the album. This may be a poor move as the release of Heap’s next album, “Sparks,” in April may spark a reminder in fans of the obvious influence of sound.

 

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[Tash]

Coldplay 'Magic' single review: "A long-form spectacle"

 

When it came to launching the campaign for their sixth studio album, Coldplay opted for the no fuss strategy. There were no teasers, no grand announcement, not even a leak before they stealthily pulled a new song and then their official new single 'Magic' out of a hat.

 

It's a mindset that complements the direction of their refreshed sound. Gone are the shimmering day-glo synths of Mylo Xyloto, and in comes a more restrained and understated effort.

 

"And I just got broken/ Broken into two/ Still I call it magic/ When I'm next to you," Chris Martin coos over muffled snare and dusky guitar plucks, before the track glides into a middle eight of airy riffs.

 

The final result isn't a quick card trick to draw you in like some of the band's previous hits, but rather a long-form spectacle that slowly allures you with its intricacies and delicate craftsmanship. If you're someone who has been left disillusioned by Coldplay in recent years, now's the time to believe again.

 

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