Coldplay -- 2010 new album preview (AOL Radio Blog)

Here's an interesting little article courtesy of AOL Radio Blog previewing Coldplay's next album, expected to drop at the end of the year at the earliest. The article, which doesn't feature anything you didn't already know of LP5 (in case you were wondering), focuses on the anticipated contrast between the hispanic Viva la Vida to the church recordings and the stripped-down acoustic sound expected in next release...

Back in April 2009, while still on the road for their 'Viva La Vida' world tour, Coldplay began laying the groundwork for their upcoming release, which is scheduled to come out sometime this year. Coldplay's 2010 new album, which has yet to be titled, will certainly have big shoes to fill following in the wake of 'Viva la Vida.'

Released on June 11, 2008 to massive critical and popular acclaim, the album dominated charts around the globe, and eventually earned the group a 2009 Grammy for Best Rock Album. While the British alt-rock quartet will still be squeezing out a few more South American concerts in the early part of 2010, they've somehow managed to find a few moments to convene in a North London church, where, according to The Sun, they've decided to record their next CD.

The decision to relocate their recording studio from their longtime base in London's Primrose Hill to an older, dilapidated church marks a major shift in Coldplay's approach to their style -- and may foreshadow an entirely different sound on their new 2010 album. While lead singer Chris Martin has enlisted soundscape wizard Brian Eno to once again produce their next album, sources close to the band say that Martin's made a conscious decision to develop a more acoustic, "stripped down" sound on their next album, and move away from the grandiose and big budget sound that characterized 'Viva la Vida.' Speaking to the Herald Sun, an anonymous source said that Martin's "determined not to be seen as a huge commercial rock juggernaut, filling stadiums and cashing in." In opting for a more acoustic, modest sound, then, the band hopes to keep themselves "as close to their fans as possible."

As part of their attempt to give fans greater access, Coldplay has begun a blog on their website, documenting the recording process on a regular basis. And, in a further twist to their traditional routine, the band has reportedly been going into the studio in separate pairs, a technique devised by Brian Eno, who told BBC Radio that he was trying different pair combinations in attempt to explore "other possibilities" that lay dormant within the foursome.

While no specific date has been set for the release, MTV reports that the new 2010 album may drop sometime around Christmas. Until then, fans will likely have to await and speculate as to what this newer, more austere Coldplay record may sound like. According to Eno, though, "It's quite different from anything they've done before."

Source: AOL Radio Blog

Pictures of Coldplay at Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico (11th March 2010):