Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
Record Label: Parlophone
Release Date: October 24th, 2011
The words Mylo Xyloto make no sense, but its okay as this is Coldplay. Everyone has a love/hate relationship with this band. Sometimes it’s because they make really good-terrible songs, sometimes it’s because lead Chris Martin is a douche and sometimes it’s because your girlfriend drags you to one of their concerts and you LOVE it. The hits are always overplayed to death and the albums are always really sound cohesive efforts. So why are we all so annoyed at them? Well, maybe it’s just cool to hate on un-cool bands. Mylo Xyloto is a very pop album. A very, very pop album. The instruments have taken a back seat to the shiny production which gleams right over everything. This was not what we had come to expect though from the band whose previous effort was the triumphantly rock centric Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends.
Once you get over the initial pop shock, the album is great. “Charlie Brown” is the twist on the ballad structure that they have utilized so well in previous years. It is a little less sing song and a little more jazz hands. First single “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” is the cheese hit of the year, but one rollicking good tune! The guitar solo pre-chorus almost sounds like a pair of dueling bagpipes. “Major Minus” continues on from “Every Teardrop” with a chorus consisting of shouting the words “ouh ouh ouh”. This song has the potential to be in your head all day (and winter). Current single “Paradise” is of course another stand out track and is perhaps the most accessible single that they have released in a number of years. It certainly has an uplifting chorus.
An evident future single is going to be “Princess of China (feat Rihanna)”; as after all, you don’t pay her enormous recording fees and then leave the song to sit away on your album. The song is the typical Rihanna feature with her distinctive vocals displaying elegant feminine passion alongside Chris Martins charming scowl. Unfortunately, near the end of this album the music begins to sag a bit with too much emphasis going on charming ballads that don’t seem to stray too far from Coldplay’s historical musical output. However, this album is certainly more glitz and glamor than they have ever previously showcased, and that is not a bad thing with the current declining quality of pop music. So yeah, if you get two tickets to see this band for Christmas, could you possibly put one aside for me? Please?
As gleamed up as this record was, I thought it was great. I haven't really listened to anything by Coldplay except for "Viva La Vida," the song, I mean. But I love that song. it's got a very different feel from this record, but I loved it. This is a band people hate, but still should respect. They actually make real music. Some people might say it sucks, but who cares? They deserve the recognition they get because they're genuine musicians. This record isn't my favorite record of 2011, but it's definitely one of them.
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