lennyrott1

Surprised nobody has posted in here for almost two years? Maybe I'm on the wrong thread :) Was curious what people are thinking about the new album, Everything Now? In a lot of ways it reminds me as Coldplay's LP5 (MX), because it's production is much cleaner and the beats more peppy. As a major fan of all their other records, I am pretty disappointed in some of the tracks, but definitely still a decent album.

A pity that this song isn't receiving more press or acknowledgement. There haven't been many reviews of the EP, but those that exist mention this tracks as a surprise. The more I listen, the more I enjoy Will's programmed beats and the bouncy bass. Probably one of my favorite rhythm sections in a Coldplay track and unlike anything they've ever done. Unfortunately I think it will be remembered as a lost gem in a few years.

I find it hard to imagine what the next era could look like, especially if they go back on tour in 2019. The AHFOD Tour almost had a "greatest hits" quality to it--it felt like other eras were incorporated smoothly (except viva and X&Y). That was going to be my guess--they release a Greatest Hits LP (rerelease of Viva?) and maybe releases some old demos or b-sides? It also seems like they are working up towards a documentary with Mat Whitecross who did that Oasis documentary. I'd bet that happens next year. I think JC90 is spot on with those predictions. I guess what I'm getting at is whether LP8 will be another full blown color-pop escapade with a massive tour. It would seem a bit tired, in my opinion, after MX and AHFOD. It sounds like they are indeed already working on new music and Guy put an emphasis on more acoustic stuff in an interview recently. That seems right to me. I've been waiting for an acoustic album since Viva, but they couldn't help but go for pop and electronic. It's time they strip it back and do something raw and emotional to prove how great of musicians they really are! I'll save the rest of my speculation to the soon busy LP8 thread :)

I didn't notice that! But I do prefer the ambient intro on the music video, so I'm going to rip that from Youtube to replace it on my EP. It's a much smoother transition from MSS.

Well it's been a long wait for this fam. It's been weird getting everything in pieces, sometimes live, so it's difficult to review. But here it goes. This feels like an improvement over AHFOD in production and instrumentation. I enjoy every song on the whole, and absolutely love a few of them. Almost a year and a half later however, these songs feel quite a bit different than AHFOD, so I don't wish to compare them too much. It actually flows well as a collection of songs better than I though it would, and I love the artwork :) My initial score for it would be 4/5--mostly on account of SJLT! Stoked on having this EP! [spoiler=Track by Track ramblings/review][/spoiler AICTAIY: Refreshing after AHFOD to have this song. Love the brooding, rolling bass and little details. I think it suffers a bit at the beginning compared to the amazing transition piano piece and explosive finale. By far one of Jonny's best guitar solos (though its almost inaudible) and great fills from Will. Production leaves some to be desired however. Chris' voice echos are a little awkward, and it feels like many parts of the song were literally stitched together (during tour). Lyrically the it is okay, full of some rather dull metaphors. Great addition to overall AHFOD era. 4/5 Someone Special: Can we just call it this? A very singular song in Coldplay's career, MSS has great funky guitar, cool swelling synths, and a pulsating rhythm that feels experimental for them. The lyrics are cheeseball, to be sure, but uplifting nonetheless. Its a direct, positive, and earnest message. The chorus is standout to me--one of the best we've heard in the past few eras, but production mires the passion. The folksy guitar and Jonny's looping riff is done in perfect Coldplay form. The Big Sean feature goes off smoothly. Its again a subpar verse by a subpar rapper, but nonetheless sounds good with the instrumental. Again, however, the production feels off. The chorus sounds like it was recorded separately from the verses, and deep underneath the throbbing, almost overwhelming drums, you can hear a beautiful, lush string section trying to take flight. Will's vocals are equally underplayed. This was so bothersome to me, after multiple listens, that the song simply was not as memorable. It feels dragging compared to live performance. 4/5 ALIENS: The best song of the AHFOD era, clearly was recorded and produced in another one. How do we know? Because its perfect. Unlike the above songs, it has no production faults. Every element of the song: the twangy, otherworldly guitar, the plucked acoustics, the shrieking strings, crunchy 5/4 drums--its all perfectly mixed. The lyrics are a bit too odd at times, but they are easy to forgive. The story the song is telling is not only important and emotional in the real world, but fun and fantastical in galaxy far away. Chris' voice is great, and the outro with the strings might be the prettiest thing Coldplay's ever put on record. I can't talk this song up enough. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get something like it again, but at least we can savor this one. 5/5 SJLT (Tokyo Remix): Ehhhhh...... At the end of the day, its catchy. If we ignore the fact that this song is a lovechild ripoff of Closer and Roses by the Chainsmokers, it is a stadium-ready addition to Coldplay's EDM flavored tunes of late. The live version doesn't add much, though the percussion is more palpable and Chris' delivery is more energetic. The added guitar is nice as well, but overall this isn't all that different or more "rockable." A ho hum song to begin with some improvements. Can't say it fits well with the other tracks, especially with the incessant screams of fans throughout. 3/5 Hypnotised: The EP Mix intro taken right from the app is beautiful. I love Coldplay when they go ambient. But it feels a little forced before the original mix, in my opinion. Luckily this is a great closer to the EP. The jangly, sleepy glockenspiels are very pleasant. The overall production and mix is really nice, especially when Will's awesome laid back drumming slowly fades in on the first chorus. I love the droning guitar from Jonny and the classy acoustic guitar. Chris' lyrics are overall fairly serviceable, though again his voice mixing is oddly chosen. This song only got better with age and should have ended up on AHFOD at some point. 4.5/5

I'd love an edit like that! You do great on all of them! And yeah, I guess its just a preference thing. This song is damn groovy, which I love, but I guess I am too much of a sucker for the soaring strings that are up front. A better pair of earbuds would also help!

Well, a bit disappointing. Still a great chorus and melody. Love the funky guitar in the verses--but for me, its so close to being one of my favorite Coldplay songs if it just wasn't for throbbing bass. This era they seem to think that big bass tones can propel a song rather than layered strings, guitar and synths like on older albums. The true, organic beauty of the live performance is lost here. The live version's guitar was amazing at the intro and outro? not in the mix. Chris' voice was incredibly passionate live voice? lost in the mix. Will's incredible live backup vocals? drowned out by the mix. The gorgeous swelling synths/strings during the chorus? drowned out by the mix. Wasn't Davide Rossi supposed to be featured on this track? Anybody hear strings or anything? Seems like shoddy production if you ask me. I look forward to a Coldplayer Edit that turns the bass down a little bit so those strings are more audible. :kissing:

You have essentially summed up everything I was thinking. There is no doubt this was an MX Era B-side (Alien Radio most likely) based on all the evidence we have. That said, the strings and Jonny's shrieking guitar are very much X&Y. I think that Coldplay has always had a fascination with spacey music, and X&Y did it well with Low, What If, Twisted Logic--all kind of feel like Space Symphonies (note that Eno produced Low, and the guitar on there is just like ALIENS). Then with MX I feel like they had another space-concept with Moving to Mars that never came to fruition. I'd love them to make a space ambient album with Eno. Really it was Eno, Simpson and Dravs that make this song so good, pushing Coldplay to do their best. But really, its the story for me. One could criticize some of the melody, but the story is incredible and so moving when you think about our current global refugee crisis. The lines "Watching my life--on the skyline--crossing my eyes--all a lifetime" really really effected me more than a Coldplay song in, well, forever. I was reluctant to say it at first, but this is one of my fave Coldplay songs ever. The production is perfect, the chorus epic and gorgeous, the meaning and purpose powerful. I have high hopes for Miracles Someone Special, based on the live performance I like it way more than I thought I would, but ALIENS will undoubtedly be THE highlight of the AHFOD era, if we can call it that.

I wasn't expecting to have this reaction, but I absolutely love this song. My favorite from KEP so far. The Big Sean feature is your typical"motivational" rap and not super good--but instrumentally this thing is so so so sexy! That funky guitar and bass on the first verse is exactly what I felt AHFOD was missing in the "dance" department. The drum beat is original and unique, unlike what we got on AICTAIY, SJLT, and Hypnotised. The chorus is beautiful, especially with Will jumping in on vocals, the swirling guitar, etc. Wowed by this track across the board. Assuming the studio version is the same, I feel like this is a natural progression for Coldplay. It has modern pop sensibility and a rap feature, but it doesn't skip out on the great instrumentation and epic chorus. We have all compared Hyp and AICTAIY to Oldplay, and I love those songs, but I feel like they don't have a refreshing sound to help them stand out. Miracles (Someone Special) draws influence from modern hip-hop, Prince, synthpop, and during the chorus, U2 and folk? I haven't had this reaction to a newplay song since Magic. Midnight, ETIAW, and Birds (newplay songs that grabbed me immediately). EDIT: I agree with the Lion King soundtrack comparison. The chorus feels very Phil Collins' Tarzan Soundtrack to me.

It's possible there is an underlying ambient/beat track for Alien Radio, similar to something you'd hear on Charlie Brown or Don't Let It Break Your Heart that Brian Eno and Dravs helped produce for MX, and then just recently they were able to put together a new song over that? Just one theory of how it could be leftover, yet new. I just don't see when the band would have found the time to enter the studio with Eno and Dravs over the past year!

So this video has been taken down already? What the heck? Some confusing roll outs for Coldplay recently. The audio is still up on Itunes and Spotify though, so they aren't editing the track, maybe just the video. And yeah--agreeing with everyone here. Not a super creative music video by any stretch of the imagination. And in terms of the audio, I'm very bummed too. I like the extra drums and guitars, but I hate crowd noise is live audio. It totally breaks the music to have a crowd scream at every drop. Just my opinion--part of the reason I never was really in to Ghost Stories Live (which has the best version of Fly On, except for the people cheering over the end).

^I was having similar negative thoughts this morning when I was listening to Lorde's new album, which blew me away with its soundscapes. Not to sound too cynical, but there is just so much wonderfully produced pop and rock music nowadays., and Coldplay seems to be slipping in terms of keeping up with a "sharp" sound. Ever since MX the way the guitars and piano have been mixed on the majority of songs has baffled me. Someone mentioned Rik Simpson above as being a positive influence, and I agree. That said, the mixing on GS and AHFOD really to this day confuses me compared to when I listen to alternative rock greats like Radiohead, Oldplay, The Killers, etc etc, and then modern pop artists like Drake, Beyonce, or even goddamn Taylor Swift. Seriously. The guitars on 1989 sound better than on AHFOD... Its frustrating, because musically a track like AICTAIY or HFTW are really quite good. Sure the lyrics aren't great, but there is a solid beat, nice layers, and epic transition, a terrific solo. And yet all of them get blurred out! I appreciate the effort of Coldplay to try something new--but this latest track clearly was Frankenstein of live recordings, studio recordings, and some mushy computer work. You can tell when Chris' vocals switch from one studio to another. Definitely didn't happen in one take, at least to my ear.

Okay. Coldplay has officially sealed itself as the strangest band to ever exist. PEOPLE. We have a CD coming out with a track featuring Big Sean going into a track featuring Brian Eno............................................. Go ahead and listen to Big Sean's Bounce Back and then Eno's album Small Craft on a Milk Sea. Talk about polar opposites. I defended Big Sean a month or so again, to a degree, but now I am not excited about him being on the EP. Give and take I guess. We're getting a better version of SJLT and possibly an ambient space odyssey with A L I E N S, but then likely a corny R&B pop piano ballad with Big Sean.....so....confused. In an interview in Feb. Big Sean said that Chris Martin was going to be on his album but that got pushed to something else. I doubt Miracles is an all out rap song, maybe its something pretty and acoustic with a rap verse? Hard to imagine...

I think we as Oldplayer's can all agree at this point--They are having an identity crisis when it comes to mixing...this song is absolutely bizarre. Feels like it was recorded in a smoky-dry echo chamber and the speaker for the synths and drums were turned up to 10 while everything else was at 5.

Really shocked by the production... I give them credit for experimenting with Chris' vocals, but man this is a muddy, muddy recording. The beautiful piano bridge and guitar solo are very much shoved to the wayside for those watery synths which are far less beautiful. I like the drum/bass groove, but it isn't special enough to make ultra loud in my opinion. Agree with everyone else here that says it sounds like they mixed live takes with a more proper studio take... That's my only huge criticism-and then maybe the weird shoe lyric? But overall a much more interesting listen than much of AHFOD, lots of cool details. And kind of a trippy, weird song? It fits great with GS and its B-sides and Atlas.

Dude. This sounds way better than I could have ever imagined. The little breathy "yea" at the end of this teaser is damn sexy and dark. I really hope the track is a similar length to Hypnotised and has a long intro/outro than the live version. The mixing/production here is stellar too, can't wait to hear Jonny's guitar come in! Sounds like it was recorded in a big room rather than the air-tight computerized crap that Stargate brought on board. ^ And this is defo getting released tomorrow--they need to stir up some more excitement since its been so long since Hypnotised! Really gonna get flooded by Radiohead, The Killers, and Arcade Fire, and possibly Muse, which are all releasing new music though.

^^Agreed. That does make sense. Still confusing though. These are technically B-sides? Yet the excitement around them feels more like this is a new album or project. With GS Target Deluxe edition, there was like no lead up or excitement around those extra tracks, but now Coldplay seems to be really excited about writing new music. Still, I am confused because EP's never are all that profitable anyways, unless there are a BUNCH of new tracks. I don't know anybody with 10 bucks on itunes who decides to buy an EP with 5 tracks instead of an album with 12 tracks (not including us, of course). So if they are pushing it back for commercial reasons they must have faith it will make $$$$. I love the wait too, but man, I've been speculating longer about this EP than AHFOD it feels like! Which could lead to disappointment if the 2 unheard tracks are crappy. I agree that announcing the EP artwork along with the App or even a teaser of the tracks would be a good move on their part to stir some excitement up in the music media. And by the way. I had a dream last night that I woke up and saw this on Facebook. Went something just like this: "EP OUT NEXT WEEK: We're sorry for the delay. We had so much fun making Kaleidoscope EP that we wanted to add some more tracks that we've been mastering for a long time! We hope you enjoy" 1. All I Can Think About Is You 2. Something Just Like This (Rock Version) 3. Miracles 2 4. A.L.I.E.N.S. (feat. Brian Eno) 5. Car Kids 6. Spanish Rain 7. Famous Old Painters 8. Hypnotised AHFOD Deluxe Edition--Bonus Tracks out in August 1. A Head Full Of Dreams (Demo) 2. Hymn For The Weekend (Acoustic) 3. Legends (Adventure Of A Lifetime Demo) 4. Army of One (Acoustic) 5. Up & Up (Live at Glastonbury) EDIT: Sorry for the Fan Fiction Splurge.

I just scoured instagram and twitter to see if anyone did-- Members of Coldplay France got there early recorded Paradise and AHFOD being soundchecked from the stadium entrance, but didn't post anything new. Are there any Coldplayer Francais(e) here that knows why? Also, this whole amazon thing is bogus. SJLT will absolutely be on the EP because of how successful its been. If Coldplay wants a broad reach then they must include it as selling point. And I really think this was just a typo or some bot that screwed up the tracklisting/dates and all that. Definitely not official.

^I think that track was promising in terms of songwriting. The lyrics weren't terrible, and I feel like the piano mid-song and near the outro is better than Everglow almost, it feels really improvised and raw. Definitely could have been a great Coldplay collab with a bit more production

^Coldplay definitely had a certain sound on AROBTTH that they emulated on Atlas and I think again here with AICTAIY. I agree with that, but am not complaining :) AND BECAUSE ITS NEW MUSIC FRIDAY (almost) So much good stuff coming out. Oh my gosh. It reminds me of when Chris says he gets upset when he hears music he likes because he didn't do it. I am getting jealous that Coldplay didn't put together some of the great new music coming out right now.... New Foo Fighters single is surprisingly kick-a**. New Alt-J album is atmospherically amazing and drop dead-gorgeous at parts. New Radiohead song is absolutely to die for. New Lorde song is great, gonna be a good album and the new Arcade Fire single.....talk about modern disco done right. Its so good. I think Coldplay will be jealous looking back they couldn't achieve a track that good on AHFOD. I just love the lush production on some of these modern singles. Hope Kaleidoscope EP can join them all in that department.

Favorite thing we've ever done? Wow, that's a bold statement indeed. Could just be saying that to try to cover the fact it's delayed hahaha. Chris says that about every new album. Has Phil ever said what his favorite bit of Coldplay music was before this? I guess I have never considered his taste. Taking longer than they thought really doesn't mean anything. They could be adding tracks (please please I hope so!) or they could be just having a tough time recording Miracles II.... Or ALIENS is actually a 15-minute ambient space epic.

We'll get an announcement from them, even if its just a social media post with artwork. This is why they changed the date, imo. Out this Friday: Arcade Fire single, Radiohead single (possible b-side announcement), new Alt-j album, Dua Lipa's album, a U2 Joshua Tree Deluxe Reissue..... Compare that to June 30th, where the biggest releases are Calvin Harris and TLC, and the commercial reasoning is pretty obvious. Let's just hope they decide to add more to it since they are making us wait longer :)

It is hard to say. Sometimes I wonder if the songs just weren't as creative or pretty--like with UFO. But for the most part, I like the mixing on MX. Especially on HLH, ETIAW. On UATW, I go back and forth. That song is so much better live without the overbearing organ, but then again, I love the organ swell at the end. I think MX was the first album where they started exploring a more pop-vocal feel to their music which they took to GS. MX still had some solid alternative rock where the guitars were in your face, which I love.

Over the weekend I went on Coldplay album binge while driving and listened to just about everything--it got me thinking more about the major differences of the last 3 eras and Oldplay. With a nice sound system in my car, you can really pick up everything: the bass, the atmosphere, the sometimes hidden sparkles underneath a track. Aside from the obvious differences in their music like lyrical content, songwriting, features, one thing struck me more than ever before: the mixing. I know we've talked about this before, but the shift in mixing from the MX era onward is super stark. Chris' vocals and Wills drums are turned WAY WAY up starting with a few tracks on MX, and then on GS and AHFOD (as well as other singles). Let's compare, for example, UFO and another acoustic track like Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground. In UFO Chris' vocals are right up front--the instrumentation feels like a backdrop. In NMFWTTG, the guitars and strings swell, subtle percussion comes in, synths. Both tracks have good melodies and instrumentation, but one mixes them terribly. Or let's look at Spies and Oceans--both are acoustic guitar driven with Jonnys haunting E-bow in the background. The difference? You can barely hear Jonny on Oceans whereas on Spies he is louder than Chris. Or how about Lost! versus Army Of One? Both are driven by organs, thumping drums, and sparkling guitar. But can you hear the guitar on Army of One? Or back up vocals? Nope--the song is stale and focused solely on Chris' vocal delivery. I could go on.......but I'm not saying that this is all terrible. On GS which is a pop-vocal album largely, it makes sense that other instruments are muted. I love how murky and low Jonny's guitar on Ink is, for example. But I feel like this has really taken the spirit out of Coldplay's music. Regardless of the genre of song they are going after, the mixing needs to be better. I love AOAL as a disco-tune, but the verses are so terribly mixed, you can hardly hear Jonny's funky guitar work. Taking our most recent track Hypnotised--this one pleased all of us--I keep asking myself "Why do I not love this as much as I should? It hits all the marks of Oldplay I love," and I honestly think the answer is how loud and up front Chris' vocals and piano are. The song has soft acoustic elements in the background, but you need loud speakers to make them out. Oldplay teaches us that it is possible to mix well enough to hear all the instrumentation--especially on an album like Viva.

^Is it just me or does Guy ALWAYS refer to shopping??? I remember on several interviews/Coldplay features he says something like "I'm just a normal guy, I like to go shopping." hahahaha I don't know why I find that so funny. I just love that he defines himself as a consumer to say "I'm a normal guy." Does anyone remember what feature Guy buys a Teddy Bear in? Their interviewing him and he's like " I like to read and shop" and there is a shot of him waiving a bear in front of the camera. It kills me. I don't mean this in a mean or disparaging way, but Guy always has come off to me as very "basic," as in super mellow and with little personality. Obviously I don't know him, but he reminds me of some friends I have who are very, very dull to talk to in an almost amusing way haha