Always in My Head - Your review

[Sparky]

I am compiling an ultimate Coldplaying fan review of Ghost Stories.

 

It will be posted on the main site shortly after the best review for each song on the album is picked, your name will be listed in credit should your review be chosen! Closing date is Monday 26th May

 

Get your writing fingers ready! Good luck! :)

 

You can also vote in the poll too, out of 10 which will be interesting as its usually only when a pre-album single is released.

[Christa42]

The first word I think of is hypnotic. I love that it is the first song on the album. The intro, which I did not hear fully until I got the cd, is beautiful. I glides you gracefully into the song. Will's constant drum "heart" beat mixed with Guy's bass is intoxicating. The guitar dances over the chords. Chris's voice is so sweet, honest and pure, the words just flow. All the elements of the song capture you and you are lost in it all and you are floating. And then, as if you are in a dream, the song ends, not abruptly but sooner than you think and you wake up..... with a smile.

[Nature]

This is there best Album track ever. The way it begins is fantastic and then the beat comes in, super.

Then the first lyric it's wonderfull and strong, a simple message can become a great song.

I really hope Coldplay continues this kind of songwriting.

[Minarets]

The song ends too weird for me.

[the_escapist]

Angel's singing from a distant heaven and Will's electronic drums and one of the most seductive Jonny's riffs ever serve as the beginning of a great album opener, clearly a standout of the new album. Once again - like with the whole album, the attention is centered in Chris' voice and lyrics. The drums provide ambient while the angel's keep singing. It is probably one the most solid lyrics - although a bit repetitive - Chris has written. Guy's bass suits perfectly and Will's backing vocals do an amazing job. The songs attracts you immensely, but already lets you know that you will be heartbroken while listening to this record. That is probably why Will's drums kind of mimic a heart beating, while Chris closes the song with probably one of the best piece of lyrics he has ever written: "This / I guess / Is to tell you / You're chosen out from the rest". 9/10.

[lennyrott2]

Always In My Head is an album opener we should now expect from Coldplay. Like Don't Panic, Politik, Square One, Life In Technicolor, and MX/Hurts Like Heaven, it sets the overall tone for the record perfectly while being powerful headphone music and having direct effect on the listener's emotions. The atmospherics here are perfect, with an angelic voice growing alongside dreamy synths towards an electronic drumbeat and serenading guitar, all swimming in deep bass notes. Chris' vocals are beautiful, and the lyric's simplicity and effectiveness of conveying a message should be acknowledged. It is short, sweet and classic Coldplay on first listen. The whole band's effort comes in softly to make one of their most relaxed, restrained efforts yet.

 

9/10

[RhysBP]

Coldplay have always made a habit of opening their albums with rather explosive numbers. However, on Ghost Stories, listeners are greeted with a rather subdued piece that could be labelled as one of their best openers since Politik in 2002.

 

As the band make a gradual shift to the new territory of electronic, Always In My Head sounds the most like the Coldplay of old. Starting off with the ethereal sounds of a distant choir under a wash of ambient synthesizers, you can hear a slight crescendo right before Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion all kick in at the same time. 


 

There are two things that are most interesting at this part in the song. The first is that out of the three, Berryman on bass produces the most prominent sound, which is very uncommon for a Coldplay song. The second fact is that Chris Martin doesn’t make a contribution until his opening lyric, which occurs one minute in. I find this interesting because it gives listeners a chance to appreciate Coldplay without Martin.

 

From the minute mark onwards, Martin delivers some of his most heartfelt and direct lyrics yet. You can really hear the anguish and despair of his separation in lyrics like “I think of you / I haven’t slept” and “Though I try / My heart stays still”.

 

The song never reaches an amazing climax like most of Coldplay’s album openers do. Instead, the sounds of swirling guitars, heavy bass and resounding drum beats form a very dreamy song that certainly sets the tone for the rest of the album. The song may be only around three and a half minutes long but any more time and Coldplay would have definitely over cooked it.

 

RATING - 4/5

[SeeYouSoon42]

Lyrically one of the best songs on the album with a true sense of "this is what's happening, this is the general theme" a great album opener for me. Simplistic, great lyrics, bass that holds the song together (this is the case for the whole album) and an almost hypnotic guitar riff.

[tyarachma]

One of my favorite song ever! So true, honest and easy listening music (and lyrics). You feel like floating while you listen

[Lodova]

Okay, let's start marathon of reviews. :D

 

 

 

"Always in my head"

It didn't give me impression when I have listened it for the first time on itunes festival. I liked it, but it wasn't something like "omgsuchaperfectthing". But "Always in my head" has grown on me when I listened to studio version. Beautiful 30sec atmospheric synths in the beginning builds foundation for a full album. I love love love guitar riff and drums here, I just looove it. What can I say about lyrics? In this case greatness is in simplicity. Also I think this is one of their best openers.

[Karmen]

As every time a new Coldplay album comes out, I was a bit worried. But when this song started playing, the magical mood of the album caught me off ward. It's ghostly, hypnotic - all instruments are united in one to create that atmosphere. You close your eyes and you get transported to somewhere up above the clouds, some kind of nirvana, and Chris' voice is absolutely wonderful. It's the perfect song to start the album. And in a personal note, it reminds me of Sparks sometimes.

[Nature]

Best track on the album for sure, such a great atmossphere and sound, the lyrics are great but simple.

The best simplistic sounding song Coldplay ever made.

[aschall]

This is the first time where I feel like the simplistic nature of Chris's lyrics has done a Coldplay song some good. Always In My Head is a truly heartbreaking song, and one of Chris's strongest vocal performances yet. The way he croons as he delivers the line "And so my mouth waters to be fed," evoked such a strong emotional reaction from me the first time I listened to the song. And apart from Chris, everyone else's touch on this song just makes it even better. Jonny's guitar is beautiful (as always) and it's really what I associate to most when I see the title. In other words, it is definitely the highlight of the song, and without it, Always In My Head would basically just be an RnB track. Will is sleek, swift, and modern on the drums and slyly gives the song a bit of pace, even though it feels slow in nature. The rapid, trap-esque ticks give this song a modern and nuanced feel. And finally, Guy's bass just really bolsters the emotional weight of the track. This, coupled with Chris's vocal just makes me want to cry every time!

 

Always In My Head is hands-down my favorite track off Ghost Stories. Everything from the lyrics to the production is a stroke of genius, and this track serves as the best example of how throughout the years, Coldplay have managed to evolve their sound while still maintaining that heart and emotion of their debut album.

[getithom]

When they first played this song live, I remember telling myself and others it was the first track since the days of Viva La Vida that I instantly fell in love with the song on first listen. Not even first listen, but within the first five seconds of Jonny's suculant guitar break. I was completely floored when they premiered this at the iTunes Festival, and stayed floored to the point where I was having to make myself quit listening to it so much. That's been well over two months now, and I still say it's the best album opener has. But when I first heard the snippet(s) of the studio version, it seemed a little less lively as the live version(s) were, and I found that mildly disappointing. Funnily enough, however, I've since come to prefer the studio version to the live version.

 

Fantastic lyrics, fantastic music, fantastic everything.

 

5/5

[Fabyth09]

Is like "Us against the World" but much better.

[Zeo]

I really agree with the general reception of those who posted in this thread :) I love this track along with O. I can appreciate it more since I am in a relationship. Hehehe