Three years after their latest, Coldplay is back and as lively as ever. Mylo Xyloto, the bands 5th studio album, is bursting with an electrifying variance of beats and Chris Martin’s invigorating vocals driving the album. This is Coldplay’s boldest album yet and it was made to be preformed.
What most people will start thinking when they first hear the album is, how does this compare? In the past, Coldplay has stayed fairly consistent, in that Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head were similar, and bled into X&Y and Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. This however, is not the case with Mylo Xyloto. After coming off of their darkest album with songs like “Cemeteries of London” and “Yes”, Mylo Xyloto shines a bright light, and accentuates happiness through both its lyrics and rhythm.
Brian Eno, who also helped Coldplay in the creation of Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, was also a major part in Mylo Xyloto. He helped out with additional composition and some of the colorful inspiration that protrudes from the new album.
This album is the culmination of over a decade of work from Chris Martin (Lead Vocals), Jonny Buckland (guitarist), Guy Berryman (Bass) and Will Champion (drums). It was creatively constructed so that each song plays off of one another and the albums underlying tale is one of love between Mylo and Xyloto. One second there will be bursting colorful anthems, and the next will be quiet intimate moments with Chris that help progress the narrative.
Chris and the band took inspiration from the 70’s while creating their newest songs. In a recent interview with New York Times, Chris Martin said, “I’m still learning it, but I have such great teachers: Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Bono Vox,” he said. “The key thing I learned from them is to just go be yourself, no matter how ridiculous it looks. It makes the concert so much more fun when you flip that switch and say: ‘I don’t care how I look. This is just what I feel like doing.’ ” That’s exactly what Mylo Xyloto is, a robust, upbeat, inspiring album that leaves the listener feeling humbled.
Coldplay starts out the album with “Mylo Xyloto”, a slow prelude to “Hurts Like Heaven” which sets the tone for the whole album. It’s a very vibrant song that immediately exuberates the direction in which Coldplay took the Mylo Xyloto, being very flamboyant and hopeful. From there “Paradise” and “Charlie Brown” take the reigns, and further exemplify the intoxicating beats that Mylo Xyloto has to offer. Followed by “Us Against the World” and “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”, these two contrasting songs do the best job of encompassing the album as a whole. “Us Against the World” is a spectacular ballad by Chris Martin; it is very mellow but finishes on a positive note. Then “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” follows with an instant captivating melody and closes out with a haunting, spine-chilling chorus.
This is the same Coldplay that in 2009 had already sold over 50 million records, not including albums, according to contactmusic.com. This is just another trophy to add to their collection.
Coldplay has a parade of other new songs as well including “Major Minus”, which spawns from Radiohead. It is a heartfelt artsy song that has a daring chorus and very memorable percussion. The last notable song is “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart”. This is an honest down to earth song, which is blissful with a great chorus thanks to Chris Martin’s long drawn soulful high notes.
All in all, whether a Coldplay fan or not, there is something for everyone to like with Mylo Xyloto. As Chris Martin says in “Up with the Birds”, this album is “a spark in a sea of grey.”
