TryWhistlingThis

I kind of believe you TBH. For myself, the more "plastic" the band go, my immersion goes with it which is why MOTS didn't speak to me (outside of a couple of tracks). But Moon Music is more grounded - not in my top 5 Coldplay albums, but comfortably above MOTS, MX, and maybe AHFOD.

While the band's best work is behind them (unless we get another Everyday Life), I hope Chris' sentiments about the twelve album limit is just what he feels in the moment. We're a lesser world without new Coldplay music.

I only now ever drop in when a new album is released (though it's a habit I do try to change). When I was last here, Music Of The Spheres was released, and I hated it. Still do, it still stands as my least favourite. This one? I'm really surprised - i really like it. It's only been one listen but what is standing out for me is the gorgeous use of lush strings, but the choir vocals. Although it's a sequel album and does carry some of the faults of its predecessor, there's just something more balanced about it. Experimental, modern, and lively, but also drenched in atmosphere which is something their last album was really lacking. I really like this one, and I didn't expect to. I'm glad I stuck around. It seems as though my Star Trek movie theory for this band persists: every second album is fantastic. Best of all, the guys are in my hometown this week so there's a lot of love for Coldplay at the moment among my friends and colleagues, so i picked a good day to pick this one up. If the rule of Star Trek has a say, their next one will be shite. Until then, off to listen to Songs Of A Lost World.

Been a long time since i've posted, but long time fan. It pains me to be honest on this one, but Music Of The Spheres is my least favourite album, particularly as Everyday Life is in my top five. Until I heard the first single for this album, I was hyped given that Everyday Life was the "sequel" to VLV (my favourite record from the guys). Everyday Life was messy, varied, carefree and, overall, the most confident the band had ever sounded because it sounded like an album the guys were making for themselves. I still love it. Music Of The Spheres, however, just does the opposite for me. It should be said that MX and AHFOD are among my least favourite Coldplay albums, so it's probably no surprise that this one isn't for me. Especially as, quite frustratingly, the album closes on one of their best ever album closers. Glad to see plenty of you enjoying it, and I hope you have a blast on the tour. The good news? Coldplay albums are like Star Trek films - every second one is outstanding. Can't wait for the next album!

Ghost Stories is the album I was hoping would follow from Viva La Vida. I know it's a typical fan thing to say "this is their best" etc..., but I do feel that way about this one and I don't say that about many Coldplay albums. Mylo Xyloto, despite some standout tracks, disappointed me in a lot of ways. Although it did build upon the sound of its predecessor somewhat, it did it in a way that would appeal to a mass audience. Autotune, Rhianna, dance synth along with some Mumford and Sons type acoustic made what a fairly tepid experience. There are some great tracks on that album, but as a whole it's the one I revisit the least. It was the toughest album of Coldplay's to really find that "moment" on if that makes sense. Ghost Stories is a gift. I created a thread about this so my opinion of this album is quite biased because of what I am going through with a girl at the moment. But it is moving me. What I really enjoy about this album, aside from the lyrical content that is haunting me, is that Coldplay wanted to make an album for themselves without totally disappearing. It's rich with atmosphere, we have a protagonist that we can feel for and it's incredibly succinct, mores than Parachutes, the band's shortest album. 1. Always In My Head: the choral parts appropriately set the tone for what is going to be an etherial (excuse the pun) album. It comes through like a cold breeze, it has a real chill to it where you get a sense of the pain but also a longing to move forward. I won't bother to explain the lyrics because they are just so direct. In fact, I don't think Chris has ever been so direct as a songwriter. There's someone in my life who is in my head at the moment and like Chris' protagonist, i've lost sleep over her and I only have myself to blame. Overall, the song is like a deep breath, like those breaths you take after having a good cry. The guitars are affecting, the bass is suitably rich and deep and there's just the right level of percussion. Though I should warn that his album is definitely the Champion-lite album. 2. Magic:we all know this one. I loved this track from first listen and it still hasn't aged. It builds upon that feeling of isolation established by the firs track and, yet again, there's this sense of realisation. Wonderful video too. 3. Ink: a very RnB/soul inspired song laden with acoustic. The pattern of a more muted Champion continues but I really can't imagine live or heavy rock drumming over the top of any of these songs. Johnny's electric flows throughout the song and carry's it pretty well. So far, it's the most upbeat track on the album, something you can tap your feet to. 4. True Love: this is a strange one because of the guitar solo that drops in out of nowhere. When I first heard this (on the bus listening through earphones) i thought that one of the other commuters had a Steve Ray Vaughn ringtone but it was actually coming from the song. It's just so blatantly out of time and against the tone of the track. Admittedly it does help to break up what is mostly a consistent track it's just such an unusual moment. 5. Midnight: another track i've always liked from first listen. Many accused this of channeling other bands like Radiohead and Bon Iver for its minimalistic, electronic vibe. Although I do understand that it may not strictly sound like a band track, it works for Coldplay a lot better than Princess of China. The trouble with the latter track is that Rhianna basically carried it and her presence overshadowed the entire basis of the song. Plus, it didn't entirely fit on the album, it felt shoehorned. With Midnight, it's relevant to the context of the album. It's appropriately small, like a whisper or a moan. 6. Another's Arms: probably the weakest track on the album as it revisits a very similar vibe to True Love. The song is backed by drum machine and feels like a lesser track of the ones we have heard. Not a lot to say on this one. 7. Oceans:this may have actually worked on Parachutes in a way. In fact, it's the first time on this album I started thinking of early Coldplay. If not for the ghostly vibe to the song, it could have fit on the first two albums given how acoustic and intimate it is. 8. Sky Full of Stars: the most upbeat song on the album. Another controversial one for some because of its dancy, club feel. But I love it and the lyrics just ceil it for me. There's someone in my life I think of when this is playing. 9. O: as you'd expect, a very subtle, quiet close to the album. It works. That's all I really want to say on this one. It's hard to really elaborate on the sounds of this album when reviewing because of how subdued it is. With my reviews of MX and VLV, I was able to go into detail because of all the textures and layers that run through those albums. With Ghost Stories, it's difficult to pin down the sound. It definitely IS NOT a return to the first two albums. It's something else, almost like a trip down a wormhole to some other side of the galaxy. I personally love this album and i'm not saying it because it is new. Already i've found some moments on this album i adore which is more than what I could say about MX when I first heard it, an album that just overloaded the listener with sound.

...and for that reason I absolutely adore this album. I warn in advance, this thread may read as a bit corny, cheesy or soppy the title of the thread is absolutely true. Recently I met a girl who REALLY likes me. I'm pretty sure she loves me and at the time I was not quite sure why. She's gorgeous, intelligent, charismatic and strong willed. I've been in awe of her for a little while and she actually asked me out. Two weeks ago we had an argument over something really stupid, a matter which is entirely my fault and could have been diffused by me just shutting my mouth. The friendship/relationship since then cooled a little since but we're still talking. How does Coldplay come into this? Well, I got the album last night, played it from start to finish for the first time and it flawed me. It really woke me up. I warned you, this is going to be corny. This girl means a lot to me and i've never been man enough to admit it. So what does Ghost Stories do? Pulls me in with Always In My Head. I think of you I haven't slept I think I do, but I don't forget My body moves Goes where I will But though I try my heart stays still Oh my god. That's EXACTLY what i've been feeling since we had our argument. I think about this girl all the time. All of this could have been avoided if I had put my pride aside but because I had to show her that I was assertive I was i've lost sleep over it and have been lacking energy lately. This appropriately bleeds into Magic: And with all your magic I disappear from view And I can't get over Can't get over you Still I call it magic You're such a precious jewel Are you kidding?! And the album goes on. Musically and lyrically, this album represents who I am at the moment. I don't think an album has hit me quite like this. This introspection inspired me to message her today (as I said, we are still talking) to see how she is. I then started to tell her how wrong and stupid I was. As it turns out, she still cares for me and wants to pick up where we left off. It's clear that I let her down and we spent A LOT of time talking today. It wasn't all smiles and hugs. She's too smart for that and I completely neglected that about her. But after a heart to heart, it's clear we still have feelings for each other. This album was just such a much needed wake up call which came at precisely the right moment. It made me realise that there is someone in my life that is actually more important than me, a person I love. I'm sorry for this very self-absorbed thread but the album has just moved me that much. Ghost Stories for me has been like "therapy". It's like Coldplay have held a mirror up to me. What a shocking sight it was.

Overall, I like the album but i'm not sure where to place it. After my first listen it doesn't seem likely to be my favourite Linkin Park record because I think it spends too much time between albums rather than focusing on a definite direction. As different from one another as their previous four albums have been, they've been rooted into a style or achieved a cohesiveness. With Living Things, it's very much the album they've promised in interviews. That is, it combines the albums they have done to date but without being a nu metal album. It's definitely a very modern Linkin Park album which is strongly influenced by A Thousand Suns but arguably has more guitar and a few more screams than we've been hearing as of late. It's a much shorter album than the previous two and contains no interludes but does have an instrumental. Standout tracks for me are Burn It Down, Lies Greed Misery, Victimised, and Roads Untraveled. The album definitely has its standout tracks, but overall it has also left me asking "what now?" It has grown on me, i've warmed to it and I do like it. But, it's not my favourite Linkin Park album. Probably my third favourite from the ones I have: 1. A Thousand Suns 2. Minutes To Midnight 3. Living Things 4. Hybrid Theory Overall, I think the album suffers from trying to cover too many bases in a very short period of time. Although it's an ambitious record in the way that it really does bring together the previous four albums, the sound doesn't always marry up the way they want it to. You need to remember that what made Minutes To Midnight and A Thousand Suns such watershed moments in the band's career was their extreme departure from the first two albums. Living Things stands up as an album on its own, but in trying to win back some old fans, fit into the current mould of popular music AND trying to expand their sound, Linkin Park have given themselves the arduous and virtually impossible task of being able to tick all of the boxes. 3 out of 5

I know what you mean. I don't watch it mainly because if news needs to be combined with entertainment to sell better and clock up on the ratings then it's no wonder that so many mainstream newspapers are written to a standard that a 10 year old could understand.

Pitchfork drastically underrated AROBTTH. I think with hype comes their scrutiny.

While the music isn't the most adventurous it could have been, I've gotta hand it to them, they've broken new ground with their disc artwork :D

Just read the review and found two very worth while quotes: AND Pretty much sums up my feelings of the album.

Geez, not even I rated MX higher than VLV. It's really surprising.

Viva was one of those rare albums for me that I loved from first listen and it's impact just hasn't waned. I purchased it on release day too, so i've been with it since day one. Of course, I attended the tour. It was actually my first time seeing the band live. But Viva for me also confirmed my status as a Coldplay fan. I didn't get into them until AROBTTH, I loved them then. But then X&Y came out, I was a little deterred, but then the innovative Viva came along and X&Y was just that one underwhelming album.

Apologies for the double post, but all this talk has now inspired me to put Viva La Vida on again. Just after hearing Life In Technicolour, it already sounds like a fresher, less dated sounding record than MX because it hasn't been saturated with all the dance and electropop. For this reason, MX feels more like an album for now that will start its aging process in a few years once the current wave of electronic music starts to fade out of fashion. Whereas, Viva La Vida sounds so much more like a band record.

I thought I loved it, but that was just a knee-jerk reaction to finally getting a new Coldplay album. I like the album.

THIS. It is such a gift when a complete stranger articulates your thoughts in writing. Word for word, I completely agree. This is precisely what i'm getting at when I say that Coldplay are capable of amazing things, but they only go so far. They're definitely capable of a Bullet The Blue Sky type song.

The thing with this album is i'm just struggling to find my "moment". After the first or second listen of Viva La Vida, I knew I loved Lost and would play the whole album again just to get to that track because of the atmosphere created by the percussion and Chris' haunting, brooding vocals. After that, it was Yes with its twangy, experimental sound and then Viva La Vida for its sheer beauty before it became a hit. I had things to lock onto which is what made the repeat listens so inviting. Plus, the overall tone of the album was just fantastic. With MX, it's just hard to find that moment. Sure, I love Major Minus because to me it feels like Yes meets Violet Hill. U.F.O and Up With The Birds have grown on me a lot. But even with those songs, I haven't identified with an actual lyric or riff that makes me go "yeah - lets hear those twenty seconds again!" The album leaves me satisfied, but not full. It's not their worst, X&Y, which just left me exhausted and drowsy. But with this, I just have no point of reference (so far) to really remember the album by.

No worries :)

One mainstream album that hasn’t been hacked out with computers? Allow me:

I've just been listening to the album a lot more and i've arrived at my final verdict. Originally it was a 4 out of 5, i've taken it down to a 3.5. It's not a bad album, but at the same time that's the inherent problem with it, it's absolutely impossible for this album to offend because it ticks all the appropriate "pop" boxes that are relevant for 2011. That's not to say that's all it does, but the effect is noticeable. As I said in my previous review, there's no disputing the talent of this band and the boundaries they can break. You can hear elements of it on this album and can just imagine where they can go, but they don't because the pop sensibilities kick in. With absolutely any band or artist, that pisses me off. It's like a tease, you know they can go further in a way that would both be interesting and non-compromising to their identity as a band, but they just don't. For this reason, I disagree with the comparisons to U2 because they experimented with their sound in the 1990s and took it as far as they could as a quartet and at no point did they ever fail to be U2. For me, it worked and I admire them for it. This is what i'd like to see Coldplay do next. I stress again, not a bad album at all, but it could have been so much more especially in light of this being the follow up to Viva La Vida, my favourite Coldplay album. In other news - my 100th post!

It's an Indian name.

I'm more familiar with the album now (up to my fifth listen or so now) so I think I might. I'll put together a playlist on YouTube and have it playing in the background. I'll keep you posted.

It will be less than Viva La Vida, in fact i'm surprised VLV got the rating it did (in a good way). I'd pitch it between 5.1 and 7.0, but leaning closer to the former.

Out of those names, the only i'd like to see return is Eno because I think under his Production, he'd push the creativity of its band to the absolute limit. It won't happen though because Chris is too protective of his baby that is Coldplay. Eno has a reputation (just look to Talking Heads, U2 and Roxy Music) for being quite the dictator when collaborating but with the best of intentions. The making of the Joshua Tree Documentary is a good example of this where while there were tensions aplenty between U2 and Eno, at the back of their minds they knew it was for the better despite not liking being told what to do. As for Chris, he's open to ideas but I don't think anyone would be able to talk him down. I should know, my Birthday is the day after his :D

Lol! I've never seen a write up of Coldplay less subtle or more obvious. I wouldn't be surprised if after digging around for long enough, you find a quote from Chris along the lines of "I can't see us doing anything else beyond the Safety EP, bands shouldn't consist of members beyond the age of 22".