Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: capitol records, cds, coldplay, Music, mylo xyloto
I’ve been an ardent fan of Coldplay since the “A Rush of Blood to the Head” days. Although I miss the stripped down, gritty sounds of their first two records, I still find the beauty in their more lush, layered works like “X&Y” and “Viva La Vida.” Now with “Mylo Xyloto” on store shelves, Coldplay emerge once again as a sonically impressive force to be reckoned with. Still producing energetic soft rock, Coldplay returns after three years with more amphitheater-ready tunes dressed in reverby synths and soaring melodies ripe for radio play.
If you by chance caught my review of “Viva La Vida” back in the Summer of ’08, you know that I was a pretty big dissenter of the Brian Eno produced album. It had a lot of ingenious, fresh ideas floating about it, but truly the best songs were the ones that didn’t include music pads and a looped drum beat. Tunes like “Yes,” “42,” “Violet Hill,” and “Death and All His Friends” are some of the finest crafted songs a band can put out. Fortunately on “Mylo Xyloto,” the British quartet has decided to do away with the drum loops and stick to writing honest songs lead by real instrumentation. On first listen, the album doesn’t necessarily feel very fresh (think of the times when you heard, “Yellow” for the first time or “Viva La Vida”), but it’s wonderfully solid. Chris Martin lets his falsetto ring endlessly, Jonny Buckland wails away on the guitar, and Guy Berryman and Will Champion hold the fort down thunderously and tightly as the rhythm section, with ever-present synths leading the party.
One aspect I do enjoy of “Mylo Xyloto” is its energy. It definitely feels like the most optimistic and driving record Coldplay has put out to date. The brief intro track “Mylo Xyloto” sounds delightfully auspicious. And then leading into the pulse pounding “Hurts Like Heaven,” there’s no doubt you’ll want to uncover the other gems that lie in wait. It took until about track 8 for me to really hear a “dud.” “Major Minus,” although a fairly cool song manages to feel uninspired and worth cutting. Then the slowed down, acoustic track underlayed with orchestral strings, “U.F.O.” admittedly lacks the emotional depth Coldplay tunes of past have managed to capture. Try listening to “Sparks” and “Kingdom Come” and tell me how “U.F.O.” compares… Even “Up In Flames” feels like a forced attempt to write a ballad that can stack up to the likes of “Everything’s Not Lost,” “Amsterdam,” or “Swallowed In the Sea.” Despite this three song drought, however, the album manages to end strong with, “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart” injecting a shot of energy back into the mix, almost like the band realized they’d taken the scenic route for the past ten minutes. With one track after it, entitled, “Up With the Birds” as the finale’, “Mylo Xyloto” manages to be another great addition to your musical library in a month teeming with a number of great new albums.
Will this be your favorite Coldplay album? Probably not. But it might be your favorite for the next week. Or maybe even the next month. And when isn’t it refreshing to hear Chris Martin and Co. pumping through your stereo? Part of me is actually pretty disappointed this is being released in the Fall. All the cheery, sugary riffs soaring throughout “Mylo Xyloto” seem perfect for a Spring/Summer drive with the windows down. So who knows– maybe the true prowess of Coldplay’s latest release has yet to even be unleashed… But for right now it’s definitely tiding me over until my next great musical purchase.
Now available at all your favorite stores from Capitol Records.
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