Famous Old Painter

Doesn't matter, it still looks like an image flip. Which they already did on AHFOD. If they really wanted to signify a brand new era, they should've done something more creative.

I really don't like the flipping of the image, it's so lazy. Ah well, it's still easier on the eye than AHFOD

You're absolutely right, Coldplay can do whatever they want to do. At the same time, I'm allowed to feel disappointed if they happen to do something I don't enjoy.

I don't know where this idea of re-recording old songs came from, but I'm pretty confident it won't be that. Maybe they'll redo some unreleased material, but it would be really out of character for them to be looking back to their old stuff all of a sudden.

I'm a bit nervous about LP8. I was hoping the MX-AHFOD pop thing was just a phase, but maybe not? Maybe this is just who they'll be going forward. Would be a big shame if that's the case. Unrelated note, did a HQ version of the acoustic Lovers in Japan ever surface? It's one of my favourite recordings from the band, but the version I've got sounds like it was recorded underwater :/

There's experimental and then there's Coldplay experimental. The album might be a little weirder than usual but they're hardly going to drop a Daughters record. I'd say we can expect the usual number of singles.

I remember people saying AHFoD would be a psychedelia record, or that Ghost Stories would be a return to the Oldplay sound. This looks promising but let's not jump to conclusions just yet

So the EP. AICTAIY is promising but ruined by the production. ALIENS is good too but it has MX written all over it. If nothing else, ALIENS has made me realise how disjointed MX was in retrospect. Neither rank anywhere near the Oldplay stuff. The rest is very much AHFOD era Coldplay. Hypnotised is the most traditional sounding sure, but it's still coated in that modern Coldplay cheese.

My quick thoughts on the EP All I Can Think About Is You - I really wish the production was better as it's easily the best thing Coldplay have come up with in the post-GS era. It gives me hope that future Coldplay releases will be worth hearing. I just wish the outro wasn't so noisy. Miracles (Someone Special) - I didn't really like the original Miracles, so the prospect of hearing another version with Big Sean didn't thrill me. Even though it's turned out to be a fairly different song, the original Miracles was a lot better. I really wish Coldplay would move away from this sound. Kind of destroys the hope I got from AICTAIY. ALIENS - It's a great song and I'm glad they've finally released it. I kind of mentally separate it from the rest of the EP as it's probably about 7-8 years old now. I'm really pleased to have it, and perhaps the resurrection is a hint that Coldplay are thinking of pursing this direction again. Also makes me wonder what kind of album MX could've been. Someone Just Like This (Toyko Remix) - Tbh I don't mind the original, I view it more as a good Chainsmokers song than a bad Coldplay song. It doesn't work at all live though. I kind of wish they'd just stuck the original on here. Hypnotised - Never understood all the fuss, it just feels like a 6 minute version of Amazing Day to me. It's alright enough I suppose, sounds more Coldplay-ish than the pop stuff they were doing on AHFOD. Still not huge on it though. I'd give it a 5/10. ALIENS is pretty great, and AICTAIY shows a lot of potential. Those are the only songs I can see myself coming back to, and probably not that often.

It's possible they changed the lyrics for this release. But I'm wondering if the renewed relevance of the lyrics is why they resurrected it for the EP in the first place.

I don't recall anything about Eno working on Ghost Stories. It also seems really unlikely that Coldplay brought back Markus and Eno just for this song, especially when the rest of the EP is produced by Rik, Daniel and Bill. I'll bet you anything it's just an MX leftover they polished up for this release.

This has to be an MX leftover. I remember back in 09 an interview where they talked about a song they'd written a track with an odd time signature and a with a drum machine. Edit - it was a R42 post. There may have been an interview as well http://www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=383&page=160

It's ok. I can't say I'm a fan of The Chainsmokers but collaborating with them is fairly in-character for 2010s-era Coldplay. Chainsmokers never struck me as anything but generic EDM anyway, nothing exceptional either way to be honest. I was expecting the worst based on the reviews and comments and stuff, but it turned out ok enough I guess. About as good as you would expect such a collaboration to be, which is meh. A song like this might have pissed me off in 2008 but I'm fairly numb to it now. It is what it is.

I'm imagining what it would be like to be a Coldplay novice just discovering the band now through the HFTW and POC videos. Like, you guys once wrote God Put A Smile Upon Your Face. You're better than this!

Five? Dear god, I feel old

O and it's not even close

Is this a safe place to admit just how much I love Ghost Stories? I even like ASFOS. It's catchy, uplifting and fun.

If you think Coldplay's management wouldn't have done similar things during the X&Y era you're kidding yourselves. Coldplay are one of the biggest bands in the world right now, and they've just released an album they're working like hell to promote. They're not going to have a lot of spare time. I think it's wonderful Thalia was given the opportunity to ask the questions she did.

Dunno if it's been mentioned but Coldplay look like The Wiggles in that photo

Reminiscing about Oldplay made me remember how fun The Lounge was back in 2008. Still doesn't feel like that long ago to me.

My memory is super hazy, but I remember Coldplay would've won in 2008 if they didn't discount the votes yet MX wouldn't have even won in 2011.

I think something's wrong when people say Chris can't be happy. I dislike AHFOD as much as you lot, but let him enjoy himself ffs

Some of the comments in this thread are insane. I don't give a shit how many celebrity friends Chris hangs out with, or how many fangirls he tries to impress by grabbing his rainbow coloured pants, I just want to listen to music I enjoy.

In a decade or so, the guys from Coldplay will be eating these words. I guarantee it. Says it all. The boys have been working super hard nonstop for the past 15 years. They're going mad from a lack of rest. Anyone would. Even they realize that for the sake of their own sanity, they need to take some time off to rest, relax, reflect, clear their heads and let it all sink in. It's not unlikely they'll then look back on this period and cringe.

I can imagine Guy, Jonny or Will sighing "Yeah, we know" and Chris responding "Well that's like, your opinion man!"