lennyrott1

"Music of the Spheres" sound very cool, but it also could have been the alternative title of Everyday Life Guy referred to in a recent interview. That said, it sounds like they've been doing Everyday Life sessions with LP9 sessions, so maybe there's still a chance it is "Music of the Spheres" ?? Idk, it seems unlikely they'd announce their next album in a lyric book.... and also, that's a pretty alternative sounding title for a record, and I think we all know the album will likely be more pop-driven, or at least more tourable. But Mylo Xyloto was a alternative sounding title but the record wasn't, so...

The more I listen, the more I hear elements of Arcade Fire & The Beatles. This is a kickass b-side. Some of their best lyrics.

Just wanted to say how much I love this era. The outfits, the overall looks, the international inspiration, the languages, the voice memos, the anger, the love, the rawness, the honesty, the inclusion, the instrumentation. It feels like threads from EVERY Coldplay album and era were tied together. I hear bits of my favorite Coldplay feels on every song. They showed so much tact the songwriting, which gives me hope for even more Coldplay in the future. I get why some people are criticizing the album for being all over the place and maybe having too many genres. But for me the the themes pull it all together. Though this won't be everyone's favorite album, it certainly is going to be a contender and yes, a return to form after a few eras where they lost some of the production that made them great in the first place.

Dm? I couldn't sign up for a trial.

Crappy take by Anthony Fantano. He isn't completely negative on this, but I'm frustrated he's not seeing through the media shitstorm and at least giving Coldplay credit for something NO OTHER group has officially said they'd try (I know radiohead and 1975 have some cool stuff they've done). I posted this on reddit, but I hope to share the message that solving the climate problem isn't about doing one thing VS. another. It's about doing all the things. So Anthony saying "Chris should instead encourage voting for environmental candidates," is kind of empty criticism because he's just shutting down the actual topic at hand: decarbonizing concerts. The solution to climate change is doing one thing AND another. It's environmentally friendly tours AND it's voting for the right candidates. If we climate activists and environmentalists keep criticizing each-others' ideas to make the world better, then we aren't going to get anywhere.

I think it's just the preview right now. But if someone has the link, good on you and feel free to, ya know.

Not a good review, gaurdian. Such a double standard. Any other band or pop group that has political lyrics or dabbles in other genres ( the 1975) gets a ton of praise but Coldplay apparently doesn't get to or it's not specific enough or appropriative...

Damn. Was hoping NME would at least go 4.5 stars, given they gave AHFOD a 4... Different reviewers I suppose. Looks like this reviewer only took issue with the less experimental parts on the album? But like what do the other band members religions have to do with the music? Idk man just give it 5 stars. It's that good and I am gonna be bummed I'd this gets a similar meta-score to AHFOD because *ahem* it's way better and more thoughtful. Also this is one of those reviews that's like "everything is so thoughtful and amazing but that one song sounded too much like annoying Coldplay so therefore I deduct one entire star." I wish there was more justification. Sure, don't like orphans, but what about the piano on Bani Adam or the beautiful Old Friends?

^Thanks! Good review and I totally agree. It's hard to deny the rawness and simplicity of Everyday Life and I'm glad this reviewer appreciated that having lots of genres kept the album strong. We'll see what others think.

This article is paywalled for me -- can anyone share the review here? And bummer if they miss the grammy's deadline, because if LP9 comes out in 2020 then they'd have two albums eligible for grammy noms which would be really, really weird. Personally, I don't let reviews really effect my subjective enjoyment. At this point, I already have made up my mind after listening to EL 10 times. That said though, I can let reviews sway my objective perspectives, if that makes sense. Like for SJLT, I subjectively don't like the song. But objectively, seeing so many people seriously love it and jam out to it helps make me enjoy it a tiny bit more. On the other hand, I love GS, but I read a lot of reviews that pointed out much of the instrumentation feels sterile and the lyrics hardly have much bite, and I couldn't help but agree.

Au contraire, @I ran away :) I actually think we largely share the same Coldplay taste, but this might be an outlier. I'm glad Voodoo is Los Unidades and not officially Coldplay, but nonetheless I find it insatiably catchy and groovy. If they pursued similar sounds on LP9, I'd hope the production would be toned back a little and that the lyrics wouldn't be so, well, ridiculously poppy.

^Agree. And I think that's what I mean by "Standard." I don't necessarily mean standard pop -- which is becoming increasingly difficult to define nowadays anywhow. Coldplay's first 7 albums are well constructed in that they tend to follow a flow and have a little bit of everything for everybody. You get your great singles (Clocks, Yellow, Speed of Sound, Viva), but then tracks that attract the alternative crowd (Spies, Daylight, White Shadows, Major Minus) and then your slowburn ballads (Scientist, Trouble, Fix You, UATW, Everglow). EL will be the first album to truly break that mold by not having a clear pop single (save Orphans), and I'd personally like to enjoy this era into 2020, get b-sides, see some live shows etc. If they release a collab with some other EDM artist in Feb. 2020 and steam ahead to the next era, it's going to be super disappointing. But personally, I don't think they will. I think they will definitely release a more standard album next year: Atmospheric opener, bouncy single, big radio single, slow jam/ballad, another single etc, just like AHFOD and MX. But if they lean more into indie rock or more alternative pop sounds then I'm here for it. It's super unlikely we'll hear anything quite like AHFOD again, so rest assured. My guess is that they'll release a more world-pop album that's a bit more alternative but perhaps more upbeat and radio-friendly than EL. Maybe more like Los Unidades (I swear in another universe, Voodoo is one of the biggest singles of all time, I love that song).

For those worried about a 2020 album being pop-oriented, just hold your horses. I definitely think we can expect it to be more "standard" Coldplay, as in more pop oriented, but pop can mean a lot of things. i for one am going to soak in as much of the EL era as possible. Loving it so far and can't wait to hear these songs live and get Flags!

^Here's my hot take, which I'll put in spoilers in case folks haven't listened to the leak. TLDR: I have a hunch, feeling, whatever, that this album is gonna get a lot of praise. [spoiler=Will critics like this album? ] Coldplay has never been able to overcome a host of critics that salivate at the opportunity to call Chris Martin "boyish" "naive" and "goofy" and to write off the music as not good enough to be great in the pop world and not creative enough to be great in the alternative/rock world. So for every critic to say "wow, Hurts Like Heaven is actually a bop" there's another that offsets that positive feedback by only centering in on "Princess of China's lyrics are pathetic." Basically Coldplay never gets a fair shake. Critics will go out of their way to praise Radiohead's King of Limbs or Taylor Swift's Lover (both of which I admittedly like) but then they'll approach every Coldplay album with a cynical assumption that it's going to suck. So how does Coldplay overcome that? Two big things: 1. It's 2019 and we need Coldplay: I think time will sweeten and mend people's views of Coldplay. A lot of critics ended up liking AHFOD because they kinda said "why not? Maybe we've been too harsh." Now, 4 years on, I think there will a fresh batch of critics who are refreshed by the album's sound and it's themes of hope and finding solace in loved ones, friends, and spirituality. Our world feels really cynical, especially online and on social media, and I believe there's a part of every human that really wants to enjoy something that feels sincere, genuine, and earnest. Coldplay has always been all 3 of those things, and EL might be their most sincere album yet. So idk, I just wonder if a lot critics are ready to accept Coldplay in 2019 when maybe they weren't in 2014 or 2003. Everyday Life impressed me with its rawness and honesty, and I think in 2019, looking back at the decade, there's a lot of folks who are worried/hopeful about the future who need this music. I found my first listen to feel like a release. 2. The music is actually really good: This is just a better album than AHFOD and GS. The songwriting is better. The mixing is better. The experiments are more exciting and meaningful. EL tackles a lot of issues in a meaningful way but also gives us that feel-good, cathartic Coldplay love that we all need. And in my opinion, there isn't a single track that's bad. Some might have issues with the weird flow or tracks that don't quite fit the rest of the album (Orphans, Cry Cry Cry) but they are still good tracks. OR - I'm totally wrong and a lot of critics won't take the time to appreciate EL and will lambaste it for being all over the place, esoteric, and inconsistent. Non-Spoiler Thoughts: I think this will get positive reviews from critics more than we're used to. Going into 2020 I think people are more open to this kind of music/messaging. I even think that there's a chance Coldplay wins some big awards for this one. If they were to ever win a Grammy for "Best Album" or "Album of the year," I think this is their best shot since Viva.

Had to really think on this album all week, but here's my review. TLDR: It's a 9/10 for me. I love this era, despite its flaws, and really am so glad I've stuck with Coldplay all these years. As I get older and love all types of music, it's great to see Coldplay growing and ACTUALLY experimenting on an album, with sounds, with format, and with lyrics. I think without a doubt this album secures them (in my mind) as one of the best rock/pop bands of all time and I hope they get a lot of recognition for this. [spoiler=Written Review] Everyday Life is Coldplay’s most alternative (different) album. It’s not necessarily their “Kid A” – it still has elements of pop and clean production, but it’s the closest we’ll get. The album definitely carries over elements of all 7 of Coldplay’s albums, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most of these tracks were just demos the band revisited (Arabesque and Bani Adam already confirmed). It’s difficult comparing EL to other albums, Coldplay or otherwise. But I can definitively say, for my taste, it’s my favorite album since Viva. It isn’t perfect. The choice to make a double album at 52 minutes in length was potentially unnecessary, and I think it’s hard to please an audience with 16 unique tracks. I think everyone will have at least one or two tracks they don’t vibe with, but that’s the risk Coldplay took and I’m here for it. The length of these tracks will be controversial as well. On the whole I really liked Coldplay’s choice to deliver smaller more concise songs, but occasionally it made me crave more runtime (Guns, WOTW/POTP), or more instrumentation & more contributions from the band. Additionally, I think some songs break the flow and vibe of the tracklist (just like X&Y) and its distracting, namely Orphans and Cry Cry Cry. But where I think this album wildly succeeds, and where it merits a lot of praise from fans and critics, is in its bravery to directly address political issues and honest, raw feelings. We should also celebrate that even though the structure of the album (Sunrise, Sunset) isn’t well explained, it’s cool they’ve tried something different and conceptual. [spoiler=Track By Track Review] Sunrise - 10/10 Incredible, incredible song. It’s mysterious, somber, yet hopeful. I think this track is perfect and I wish they’d just let Davide Rossi into the band. Few bands can pull something off this cinematic. Church – 7/10 This song will grow on me, but as of now it’s one of my lesser favorites. The skittering drum beat and swelling synths sound almost Blur or Beck in the 90's. I like Jonny’s guitar lines and how the song eventually feels like an Arabic pop track. But I also find the melody to be less memorable than most other tracks. ([erhaps the Stargate production cursed me). Trouble In Town – 9.5/10 The clear Radiohead comparisons don’t keep this track from being incredible. I love the messy guitar and bass, the soft drums and piano. Lyrically Chris touches on some of the darkest material yet – racial violence. The real-life sample of a policeman interrogating an innocent black man is profoundly unsettling. I absolutely love the aggressive drums, guitar, and off-kilter synthesizers that swell in and out. It’s chaotic in the best way. I do wish the mixing was slightly cleaner and the guitar more audible, but that’s only a minor complaint. BrokEn – 8.5/10 I love the lyrics, the melody, the gospel choir – it’s clear that Chris recorded this on his iphone at some point in time and decided to throw it on the album. I’m so glad we have this in Coldplay’s canon, but I also don’t know if it was essential to the album. But as a standalone track, it’s great. Daddy – 10/10 This track is the real dark horse of the album. Coldplay’s best piano ballad track of the decade and possibly ever. Chris delivers the most honest performance I’ve ever heard. Where tracks like O or Everglow are certainly gorgeous and meaningful, they don’t’ carry the same emotional weight of Daddy. I assume Chris writes from the perspective of a child missing their parent while they’re away/dead. And it absolutely wrecks me. In contention for my favorite track. WOTW/POTP – 8/10 Could have been cut. I like what’s here for its rawness and honesty, and the melody seems like going somewhere great, but I don’t really know why you’d put a demo THIS uncomplete on your album. That said, it’s a nice palate cleanser after Daddy. Arabesque – 10/10 The horns, the slinky guitar rhythm, the sax solo, the features of Davide Rossi, Femi Kuti, Brian Eno, and Stromae. This track is pure magic. I only wish more tracks could have delivered a similar vibe to this one. It’s amazing. When I Need A Friend – 9/10 Another showstopper. The choir, the rain, the echo of a church. It feels like this would be a classical Christmas song in some other universe, but no, here it is on a Coldplay album. This however, is 100% one of those tracks that could have been longer. Take the minute from WOTW/POTP and add it to this and you have a perfect song. I also love the recording of the man at the end and his message. Thank you Jacob Collier for producing this. Guns – 8.5/10 Again, wish this track was more flushed out. But what’s here is great. The lyrics are actually quite effective and cutting. I love Chris finally just saying “Everyone’s gone f**king crazy” and being so politically charged. The whole “STOP” thing isn’t my favorite, but it’s catchy and establishes the folksier side to Sunset. Orphans – 9/10 One of Coldplay’s best singles. The bouncy bass, the lyrics, the shouted chorus. It’s great despite its clear U2 vibes. Does it fit on this album? Maybe a more stripped back version would have flowed better, but it’s a great song. Eko – 9.5/10 Beautiful. The classical guitar and piano are blissful and Chris’ falsetto fits in perfectly. Lyrically I love what I’m hearing, but not sure if I’ve made out the whole story yet. Love the “in Africaaaa” and the female backing vocals. This song sounds like medicine. Cry Cry Cry – 9/10 This song takes me dancing and puts a big smile on my face. I love the lyrics, the du-wops by the band. The pitched vocals also sound great. But like Orphans, does it fit in? I almost feel as if this track would have been better off on AHFOD/LP9. But as a standalone, I love it. Old Friends – 9.5/10 I listen to a lot of folk music, so I really love this and all the fingerpicking. Could have been released in the Parachutes era easily. It feels more in line with Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley. The sentiment is relatable and real. Again, Chris feels more honest than ever before. Bani Adam – 10/10 The 1:30 of piano goes right up there with Postcards From Far Away. Like Sunrise, it delivers a classical feel that I never expected from Coldplay’s music and it’s remarkably beautiful and sad. The last half of the song makes me think Brian Eno was involved. I love the sparkling guitar and soft rumbling bass. The recitation of the poem is also perfectly executed. Stunning song. Champion of the World – 9/10 I could see this track being played at the end of a coming of age movie. It is super catchy, slinky and well performed. Love the vibe of the guitars and the melody. It builds up perfectly and feels nicely paced as the albums big finale. It is catchy, emotional, and an instant Coldplay classic that I think all fans will enjoy. Plus, the fact that they sampled Scott Hutchison is really powerful to me as a big Frightened Rabbit fan. Everyday Life – 7/10 Just good for me. The opening strings and bells are awesome, but I don’t like the piano production and I think the melody is phoned in and too predictable despite some solid X&Y vibes. The track is just underwhelming in all departments compared every other track on the album. I do like the lyrics and Chris’ final thoughts for this era quite a bit: “At sunrise, put my arms out open wide. Hallelujah.” Just my taste. Album Overall – 9/10 It’s an amazing album that deserves a lot of praise. I like every track here which is a first since time since Viva that’s happened, and there are tons of perfect to near perfect songs. As an Oldplayer, I’m so very grateful for this album despite some of its obvious flaws. I look forward to seeing how it charts and how critics receive it. [spoiler=My Current Album Ranking] Note - As a Coldplay fan, I virtually like everything they put out, so objectively these scores are very inflated. I give a lot of 10/10's to imperfect tracks that give me good feels (Yellow, Shiver, Green Eyes, Politik, Square One, Til Kingdom Come, much of Viva, HLH, Midnight, Birds etc.) 1. AROBTTH - 9.6/10 2. Death And All Of His Friends– 9.5/10 3. Parachutes – 9/10 4. Everyday Life - 9/10 5. X&Y – 8.8/10 6. MX – 8.3/10 7. GS – 8/10 8. AHFOD – 8/10

Interesting. My guess, like others, is that this track used to fit in where Orphans was. So my guess is a more band-driven song that has a lot of acoustic guitars and political lyrics.

Too early for me to rank the albums, especially since EL really isn't a proper album in the context of the first 7 LP's. But I love it. Like really love it and I think tracks that I'm only so so about right now (Church, Everyday Life) will grow on me. What i'm really excited about is seeing how music media reacts. Because to me, this album is a big deal and the most exciting thing we've got since 2008. But then again, Billie Eilish released a great track today, the 1975 is crushing it. Thom Yorke is still releasing great music. Adele storm is coming. I wonder if critics and other big publications are going to pick up on Everyday Life and praise its addressing of social/political issues and for having unique, but traditional sounds.

Okay fine I'll say it. This album is straight up brave. Look it may not work for everyone, and I think all of us have at least a few tracks that feel underwhelming, but the highlights are instantly classic: Sunrise is stunning. Holy cow that's how you set the tone. Trouble In Towns transition and recording of a scary interaction with a cop is downright unsettling. I would have NEVER thought Coldplay would do this but it somehow works. Arabesaque. Daddy is shockingly effective. My favorite Coldplay piano track this decade. When I Need A Friend is transcendental. Guns is righteous anger. Eko is peace. Old Friends is warm and kind. Bani Adam is potentially their most gorgeous song ever. Champion of the World is a slinky britpop masterpiece. Cry Cry Cry takes you dancing. This era rocks. Can't wait for Flags.

Right? Like I felt what he was saying deep. First time since their early work. Compare this to GS which didn't have the same emotion, imo.

Got the leak this morning and listened once before heading into an intense all day work conference (perfect timing haha). I honestly don't really know how to talk about this album and I don't want to screw with anyone's expectations. So seriously, warning on this thread that this album is likely best taken as an experience all in one sitting -- not in little leaked snippets. [spoiler=Initial thoughts] That said, this album is a beast. I can see critics/coldplayers raving for it. I can see critics/coldplayers thinking its complete garbage. I can see even more in the middle of that spectrum. Why? On first listen, it's messy. No two songs sound remotely alike nor do two songs have similar lyrical content. Some of it's super dark and political and raw. Some is neatly produced, clean and light. Some songs are outright esoteric. You could literally listen to this thing and think it's a rushed mess or a carefully constructed, artful experience. Regardless, it demands to be heard, carefully and deliberately. Some songs made me smile (Cry Cry Cry, Orphans, Champion of the World) others made me truly sad (Daddy, Trouble In Town, When I needed a friend). I don't think there's a weak song on this entire album, but I do think there'll be a lot of debate on that. Tracks like Church kind of underwhelmed me, but I know others already love it. I feel like I need a few more listens and then hopefully by Nov. 22 I can truly know how i feel.

Put in my vote for Sparks. Gosh I'd be so excited if it won. Lol honestly why is included? It almost feels like Coldplay put that there as joke given 90% of new fans probably couldn't hum sparks if they were asked. But then also maybe it's lowkey Coldplay seeking affirmation and hoping people still like Parachutes. Either way, really gave me a chuckle to see this poll. It's like, "What would you like performed live? Our catchy indie bop, Magic? Our biggest hit ever, Viva La Vida? Our modern EDM-inspired bangers? Or how about our all-time quietest, most introspective song?'

My ramble was somewhat negative, and for that I apologize. Maybe it's the angst of knowing we have 2 long weeks before the album drops, maybe it's just the inherent cynicism of an Oldplayer. Despite some of my harsh words, I really am stoked about this new era and have my hopes up higher than anything since Viva. And the fact that we could be getting LP9 in 2020 is reason for even more excitement.

Ramble incoming addressing recent interviews: Agree with the GS/AHFOD comparison for potential LP8/LP9 comparison. Makes me somewhat worried for whatever's next. AHFOD is my least fave Coldplay album, but I think part of that is the production by Stargate and some of the songwriting (Fun, XMTS), not the timing. So maybe LP9 will slap and it's dumb to worry? Overall though, I feel there's this constant see-saw between "We just want to release whatever we're feeling and don't care about what others think," and "We just want to release whatever we're feeling and some people didn't like our last thing so...." Like Chris referencing people not liking the superbowl performance is the same mentality the band had post X&Y: "We want to be the world's best band, not the biggest." For what it's worth, I loved the performance and it's focus on inclusivity and color. So Chris might say he doesn't care about what people think, but that's clearly not true. He'll say "it's very personal" but I'm sorry, Ghost Stories is one of the most impersonal break up albums ever. The lyrics on the Everyday Life track are as generalized as possible. The reason some people hate Chris is because his lyrics can come off as, well, like the thoughts of a 7th grader just figuring out heartbreak or that war is bad. I still love this music, but (most) Coldplay songs are extremely accessible and broad. So when Chris doesn't answer questions during interviews or says "we're not going to promote this" or "its very personal and different sounding," I am skeptical/frustrated. I hope EL proves me wrong and actually digs deeper. For every Guns, there's a Princess of China though....

https://www.radio.com/music/alternative/chris-martin-of-coldplay-on-the-meaning-behind-orphans LP9 Basically confirmed. He says it was being saved for "just something else," and smiles. Then he goes on to say "I was saving it for the next thing we're doing." That dang daily star article was right...

WHAT IS THE TRUTH!? Yeah I have the same question about short tracks. Are they for making money in the streaming age? Or is it truly a creative decision by Coldplay to distill songs down into tasty morsels or better "portions" as Chris said. I mean, probably the money right? But personally, so long as those songs flow well and really are packed with good stuff, I'm totally fine with it. Like if the first two minutes of ETIAW was just that, I'd still love it because the next two minutes basically just repeat the formula...