HowCouldIForget

Higher Power (8.0) Humankind (9.5) Let Somebody Go (8.5) Human Heart (9.0) People of the Pride (9.5) Biutyful (5.5) My Universe (6.5) Infinity Sign (10) Coloratura (10) I'm sure a lot of these ratings seem on the high side but they are my favorite artist so I dont think it should be surprising? Compared to a lot of 5-6.5 range on GS. I think the claps give a little life to the beginning of Infinity Sign, especially when it starts out slow in the beginning so it doesn't drag. Also gives it a more dance-y feel. Not like in AoaL where it just feels shoehorned in to me because it's the lead single.

Did they review Ghost Stories? In all seriousness, Infinity Sign is something special. It reminds me of the longer tracks on the back half of Daft Punk's album Discovery. Veridis Quo, in particular, comes to mind. But it's more interesting and less drawn out compared to that. I love it even more with each listen!

It's not but neither is X&Y and a lot of people adore that album. I'd say this one is stronger than that. Especially with something like Swallowed in the Sea, What If or Low. I know I'm speaking heresy right now. The great music saves X&Y.

Brilliant Coloratura Infinity Sign Great Humankind Human Heart People of the Pride Good Let Somebody Go Higher Power Eh My Universe Biutyful

A couple of things strike me about the album -The production is incredible. Sure, there are two songs in particular (Higher Power, Let Somebody Go where I wish Jonny's guitar wasn't as buried in the mix on the chorus) but overall, extremely well done. Max Martin makes Stargate look like a joke. AHFoD wouldn't have been their best album anyway, but the production really ruins songs like Up&Up and to a lesser extent Amazing Day, and others like Everglow would've been so much better with *cough* guitar. -Nothing in the way of guitar solos. The one in Coloratura is beautiful but that's pretty much it. They did this in EL too, with maybe Trouble in Town being the only exception. I know Jonny isn't known for solos but I loved how he had little sections on some songs where it was just him, specifically Viva la Vida and Mylo Xyloto. -The lyrics overall are great and better than I feared. Very generic in general on My Universe and maybe on Biytiful (which I cant even understand half of) but otherwise not bad at all. -I think if Coloratura hadn't been released early I would've been really blown away tonight. Also, we've heard a lot of the songs already live. Infinity Sign and Humankind definitely impressed me the most out of the ones we hadn't heard. Love the vocal effects and little horns on People of the Pride. I don't remember either in the live version -I really do love how no two Coldplay albums are alike. There are plenty of artists I like to, say The Fray, Nickelback, ZZ Top or AC/DC where you can't tell much difference from one album to the next. Even with Ghost Stories, which only has three songs I like, it's still unique in their discography. It still has value for what it is. There are always influences from the past, of course. The abundance of synths and vocal effects remind me of X&Y and MX in good ways. After GS and AHFoD, I really wondered how much I'd be listening to Coldplay in the future. These last two albums, while not their strongest, have pleasantly surprised me. ?

Definitely my favorite of the leaked tracks. Haven't heard the live version of Life is Beautiful to compare but it's incredible, really.

Not beg, you're right. There's a whole question of fairness, is it fair that some people get the album early and such. Maybe some level of people feeling like they deserve to hear it early? But it's also only 24 hrs away here in the US. Have heard a couple but wouldve survived if I had to wait.

I swear they released Coloratura everywhere at midnight, Great Britain time. Greenwich time, I think it's called? I'm not an expert on this at all but it seems odd to me that certain parts of the world would hear it before others. Couldn't someone from JP or NZ just put it on YT or something? That's such a hassle to stagger it for the streaming platforms, too. What if you released it too early in x country on accident? And several counties have multiple timezones.

I see where you're coming from. To begin with, you're comparing it to MX which has to be both the most underrated album amongst the fans in general and on this site, specifically. My Universe has pretty generic and overall poor lyrics. Some of the bass and guitar is good but we know what they're going for. It's not something I hate like Magic or Hymn for the Weekend though, it's mostly inoffensive. Higher Power has its moments and is a pretty good song, actually. Shame about what they did to Jonny's guitar but they like doing that. Coloratura is ome of the best songs I've ever heard but I've already shared my thoughts on that. (Human) Heart is great, although initially I wasn't a huge fan of the sparse instrumentation. Love the vocal combination and the lyrics are so humanistic. People of the Pride reminds me a lot of Muse and I love how they included lyrics from The Man Who Swears. It's way more rock sounding than anything I expected to hear on this album. This based on the live version, of course. And overall, I like what little we've heard from Let Somebody Go. I expected a sea change from the high of Everday Life to something maybe as low as Ghost Stories. Especially since they saw the album and singles weren't nearly as popular as most others in the past- I figured they would overcorrect. But I like what I've heard so far. I don't know if theyre capable of making an album as good as Viva la Vida ever again, if only because of how mich Chris has leaned into modern pop music and has (seemingly) convinced the others to come along for the ride. Guessing I'll like it less than VlVoDaAHF, ARoBttH, Parachutes, MX and EL, more than GS and AHFOD and probably right around X&Y. Keep in mind, anyone who has heard what is out there has heard most of the album, already. But maybe there will be a bonus track or two.

I like everything from that clip- the vocals, the piano, the lyrics are actually my favorite part. But why that beat? They always do this. Will is such a talented drummer. Who goes "You know what this needs to top it off? A generic drum machine (my assumption) in the back!"

You mean the version that should actually be on the album because it has guitar in it? Strange.

I dont know what can be said that hasn't already been but For starters, this is the first time in a long time that I've cried hearing a song on first listen. It's just like. All of the frustration of knowing people know Coldplay for terrible songs like Magic, Hymn for the Weekend and to a lesser extent but still true Paradise and Something Just Like This. It might sound strange but this is like the ultimate reckoning for all of that generic pop music they've put out in recent years. Like many people have said, the first two things that came to mind were Pink Floyd and Moving to Mars. PF isn't known for pianos but the rest is very much like them. I remember how upset I was when Moving to Mars was somehow left off MX for other mediocre songs like PoC and Paradise, yet here we are. Everything is gorgeous, the piano melody (which sounds unusually complex for Coldplay), that Jonny killer solo, the strings and overall atmosphere. I love the lyrics, so unique on the verse and then something more universal on the chorus. It's not even a song, it's like, "an experience man." As much as I love Birds and EL in general, this has to be the best song I've heard since Touch by Daft Punk in 2013. People who know me know that's also my favorite song. Best Coldplay song since at least Death and All His Friends in 2008. Not only possibly Coldplay's best song period but one of the best songs I've ever heard. Just incredible. I'm floored.

Honestly, when we first heard the "live" version I thought it sounded like it was mixed, like a studio version but also I'm not a production expert. Would be interesting if that's what we've actually been hearing.

I'm not trying to challenge you, especially since I know you're both very smart and well-respected around here but I'm trying to understand how *I* would receive a Fortnite postcard. I've never once played the game. Not even on someone else's account just to try it. Not on my Switch or Series X, I don't game on mobile or PC at all. I've bought games in general from Amazon and eBay but I've never played an MMO either, I don't play anything free to play and I don't even play multiplayer games outside of Kart and Smash, so I don't see how I could be a target demographic. This is all very strange to me and I have a hard time believing it unless they're sending them to every person who has ever played a videogame. Not 100% on topic but if it lends more credence to the idea that the postcard is from Coldplay then maybe it'll be useful. PS I bought both my Switch and Series X second-hand so I can't see it being something directly from Nintendo or Microsoft, either.

I got a postcard today with the top image on it, specifically the numbers in the exact same order along with the arrows but just the n shaped design on the bottom. There are also two spheres, one fully green and the other with longitudinal lines from top to bottom. It says "They're coming" at the top and at the bottom is the number 310,582. I just got my Higher Power CD about a week ago.

I'm praying Human Heart is on the album and it sounds like what we heard. Initially I was like "why aren't there any instruments?" but I do really love it. Could be their best female collaboration and I really like what they did with Kat Power.

I'm hoping for a new song! But at the same time I dont know if I'll be able to listen to it because I'm betting the live version will be drastically different from whatever the studio version is. I swear.

One of a-ha's band members worked with Guy in Apparatjik. The synth player I think. Would love Death Cab.

I wonder about this question of how much we value Jonny's guitar in Coldplay's music. I say this because I notice that a lot of fellow fans here like me don't care much for AHFOD and like EL a good amount. But realistically it's like this: You won't find anything as complex or lengthy guitar-wise on EL as Up&Up. Or maybe on any Coldplay album ever. The opening/bridge riff on AOAL is another example. That's not to say there aren't great Jonny guitar parts on EL like Church and Trouble in Town but I have to think Jonny is more impressive on AHFOD overall, with AHFOD, Birds and Amazing Day also coming to mind. So, then, it's not like Jonny is all we value. AHFOD has more impressive performances by him but also much more of a pop sound overall, that's why I don't love it. The other members' contributions matter too. Let's not forget everything we value in a song of theirs.

Following what was said above, maybe Guy has just been given preference recently. I feel like Jonny is the least outspoken in the band, so maybe he hears his guitar being tuned out and he's like "they're doing it again" but doesn't say anything. I don't know. It's clear Coldplay isn't going for a rock sound much anymore, even as good as EL was. I really wonder if they'll split one day and Jonny will have something to say about all of this. Coldplay is my favorite band but I can only imagine what kind of amazing stuff we'd get from him on a solo album. I cant imagine what incredible guitar riffs they're rejecting altogether.

That's fair. I guess I never thought of it like that. I think you're right that Guy's bass has been much more prominent on recent albums whereas pre-MX I barely noticed it, period. Maybe on Clocks and Low but that's all that's coming to mind. I know where my preference lies but I dont know. I'm sure there's a political and personal calculus to all of this we don't know about.

I can't listen to the live version. I can't. It'll dim my view of the studio version big time. I remember hearing the live version of Everglow and I'm like who the HELL took Jonny out of this song? Why do they hate my love of his guitar so? ?

Anthony Fantano is my favorite music critic. Genuinely shocked to hear he has something good to say about Coldplay. ? I remember him criticizing EL for not being political enough and I'm like we're lucky we got as many songs that were as we did, guy. This isn't like Rage Against the Machine.

Hi, man. Also, as interesting as the separate parts are, Jonny's *verse riff comes off as heavily copying Nile Rogers' guitar on Get Lucky. As a big Daft Punk fan this immediately stood out to me. And those vocals at the end kill it for me. Can't stand when Chris does that. Lyrics could definitely be better. Lastly, I think I'm still reeling from how rock it sounded in the teaser and then it was anything but. Higher Power set realistic expectations for me. Ultimately, I like the song but I'll take Higher Power any day. The second verse lyrics on HP beat anything on AOAL for sure.

This bassline is definitely a grower. In addition to what you said I would just like to add two things. The first is the guys would never use pills. I know Chris was drinking a lot before Parachutes and kicked Will out of the band but they don't use drugs. They're more Radiohead and less Oasis if you will. Not like a typical rock band at all. As for the religion part, I know Chris has stated he believes in a mixture of things. Parts Christianity, parts Islam, parts Buddhism too. In the UK, the % of the population who consider themselves conventionally Christian is like 15-20%, much less than here in the US. A little off-topic but I think his multifasceted belief system has a profoud impact on the band's lyrics