The famous British alternative rock band, Coldplay, released their newest album on Oct. 24th. Mylo Xyloto is their 5th album and experiments with a new musical genre, electro rock. Their transition from alternative to electronic was play with in Viva La Vida, but Mylo Xyloto might be the final leap into the world of synthesizers and computer generated beats. Mylo Xyloto abandons their traditional sound from Parachutes and X & Yin hopes of fitting in with other bands taking it to the next level with technological advances in music, but has the combination of their classic sound and the push to try something new worked out for the band, or has their latest album fallen short of a Coldplay classic?
Coldplay’s album is thrilling and a great listen for those who love the new wave of techno sound, but for longtime Coldplay fans, they might be disappointed in the sudden change in what’s become the norm in the musical industry. Mylo Xyloto is a fun album, but even though it’s presented as a concept album, Coldplay has created an album just like everyone else has; it’s upbeat and great for parties, but it’s the same thing we’ve heard over and over again in modern day music and leaves no room for anything “revolutionary” to come out of it.
Mylo Xyloto, according to lead singer Chris Martin, is a concept album about two characters named Mylo and Xyloto, who meet each other through a gang called “the Lost Boys”. The singles released for the album include “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” and “Paradise”.
“Paradise” tells a story of a girl longing for her own secret haven. The song starts with a strange combination of pipe organ and violins, as if putting on a concert inside of a Catholic cathedral. What’s different from their usual choice of instruments is the application of hip hop elements, like the rumbling bass and techno inspired waves of sound, crashing down into the song like musical tidal waves. The lyrics aren’t complex or in any way philosophical. In fact, the whole song itself sounds complicated and a bit chaotic, but it’s really a song with a simple droning tune that could be duplicated by any popular artist on the charts.
With “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”, it sounds more like a party anthem, filled with a sense of indifference to the world’s problems, saying “I turn my music up/I put my records on/I shut the world outside until the lights come on.” “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”, despite its misleading melancholy title, it’s an upbeat song that fills people with the urge to dance and party until the break of dawn. But isn’t that what every song is about these days?
The best example of Coldplay’s sudden conformity is in their track, “Princess of China”. For this song, Coldplay collaborates with popular female artist, Rihanna, which is something they never would’ve done on previous albums. Although Rihanna’s vocals aren’t as demanding as in her solo work, the combination of Chris Martin’s voice and Rihanna’s just doesn’t sound or feel right, especially with longtime Coldplay fans. “Princess of China” proves that Coldplay has ultimately changed their musical style, but it’s for the listeners to decide if it’s better for the band to conform to what’s now normal in music or if it’ll be worse for Coldplay’s musical growth and progress by giving up their originality just for a boost in record sales and Grammy nominations.
