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Product Description
Review
Don't Coldplay love their Xs and their Ys? And their enigmatic album titles? After 2005's X&Y and 2008's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends comes Mylo Xyloto. Well, it beats Coldplay 5. But any title that needs a pronunciation guide (it's "My-lo zy-letoe") sounds like it's trying a bit too hard. Maybe Chris Martin still yearns for something that infers the depth and gravitas of a Bono or Thom Yorke. The album is apparently a concept work, "based on a love story with a happy ending," Martin claims, and inspired by old-school American graffiti and the anti-Nazi pacifist White Rose Movement: "It's about being free to be yourself and to express yourself among negative surroundings." But the lyrics are still typically Martin's life-affirming, anthem-forming and plain-speaking as ever, more ABC than MYLO XYLOTO.
The same goes for the music. Bassist Guy Berryman said in 2009, "It's time to take our music down different directions and really explore other avenues," and, in name alone, this set suggests Coldplay might finally do an Achtung Baby; they might rip it up and start again, in the presence of said U2 LP's producer Brian Eno, who also worked on Viva la Vida. If the addition of electronic undertows, instrumental snippets (the title-track, M.M.I.X., A Hopeful Transmission) linking many of the tracks and the presence of Rihanna on Princess of China count as "other avenues", then job well done. But Mylo Xyloto is much more a brilliant, shiny and emphatic reinstatement of the euphoric hooks and cuddly ballads that have served the band so well. Case in point: Paradise, where melting strings and church organ feed into a brilliant chorus line that equal parts Fix You and Viva la Vida's title-track. But the main vocal chorus doesn't arrive until over two minutes in, building the tension; the pay-off is both simple and devastating. It's the equal of Yellow, and when Coldplay return to Glastonbury it will take the roof off the sky.
Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall goes one step further than Paradise by lifting Vida la Vida's "who-hoa!" hook, suggesting Coldplay can't truly comprehend new avenues. U2-shaped echoes still run through the deep and wide canyons of their landscaped sound - Major Minus features The Edge-patented guitar chatter, but it's nevertheless a triumph. Charlie Brown has one of those Coldplay-patented sun-breaking-through-clouds moments; Us Against the World (the sentiment that unites the graffiti and anti-Nazi camps) is the key wistful/cuddly ballad alongside Up in Flames, a successful grafting of soul onto the Coldplay model, helped by an understated falsetto and the simplest of piano parts (echoes of Parachutes' gorgeous Everything's Not Lost).
The closing Up With the Birds, which samples Leonard Cohen, is a serene finale that shows Coldplay understand the change of dynamics more than the dynamics of change. Better this than the nominally Euro-disco bent of Princess of China, where Rihanna's presence feels more of a marketing tool than a creative necessity, and there's yet another "who-ay-oh-oh!" chant just in case Coldplay were straying too far from their remit. This appears to support Martin's message of expressing the freedom to be yourself under negative surroundings - not to change just because critics of the band tell them they should. Mylo Xyloto may have an oblique title but it's a triumph because the music is anything but.
--Martin Aston
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CD Description
Mylo Xyloto was produced by Markus Dravs, Daniel Green and Rik Simpson with "enoxification" and additional composition by Brian Eno. According to Chris Martin, it is a concept album based on a love story with a happy ending, inspired by old school American graffiti and HBO TV series The Wire among other things.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good slice of Coldplay ... but with reservations,
By
This review is from: Mylo Xyloto (Audio CD)
Coldplay's set at Glastonbury this summer bought home to me just how good this band are. No U2 pretence; just a bunch of guys who enjoy what they do and are very good at doing it. Whether it's Chris Martin on the piano or their fantastic drummer (who reminds me of Animal from The Muppet Show!) bouncing his drum kit off the floor. The new songs they played like 'Charlie Brown' and 'Every Tear Drop' sounded anthemic as you would expect. They were great.So, along comes the album some 4 months later and it's certainly uplifting. 'Paradise' is catchy but not great Coldplay while aongs like 'Hurts like Heaven' are strong and catchy. Chris Martin is no great lyricist; what he does do is create a wash of sound that you know will raise the rooves on stadia around the world. So, why have I only given this new album three stars? Production in one word. This album has been produced to death by idiots who think that pushing the levers all the way to 'max' is the way to deliver a great album. On a good hi-fi this album sounds sounds like its coming out of a cheap transistor radio made in the sixties. It's distorted, there is little light and shade - jusy bombastic production which is a great shame. Can producers please stop doing this? Give us music that sounds natural rather than pushed up to the max.
87 of 98 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb but...,
By
This review is from: Mylo Xyloto (Audio CD)
... this album is going to have a lot of teething problems.Firstly, as has been the way with most of Coldplay's work: The album is very much unlike their previous stuff. Don't get me wrong, the album shares many parallels with all of their previous material. However, it's different enough that fans coming here expecting a remake of [Coldplay Album Name] WILL be disappointed. Admittedly, I too had my reservations when the singles were released. But it just takes a bit of getting used to - the quality is still there, it's just a different flavour. Secondly, the album lacks a full, out-and-out single. I'm not saying the songs are weak (far from it) - but to me, the album lacks a 'frontman' of a song. There isn't really a single song that you can use to show off to a new listener (In the way that all the previous albums had key, outstanding tracks which helped keep you listening long enough for the quality of the underrated songs to come through) Alas, there is still no contender for the global play-on-loop-50-times hit that is 'Viva la Vida'. It's a shame, because nearly all of the songs are excellent Thirdly, as has been mentioned by others: The mixing is very heavily done and will punish high and low quality speakers alike. On the first number of listens for many songs, it feels like you're met with a solid wall of noise where the vocals sound almost muffled. As a person who's a sucker for melodies, I was fine with this after a few listens - but those are more about good lyrics might find this very off-putting (at least until they can discern what's actually being said!) As you may have gathered then: The album needs some getting used to. It's initial feel is very bright, bold and colourful - but can also feel a bit 'brash' and 'in-your-face' at times. The good news is that it rewards patience and the overall quality of the songs are very, very high. (I can't really find any 'weak' songs on this one) To the track listing: 1. Mylo Xyloto - A 40-second (slightly Christmassy) instrumental lead-up which perfectly introduces... 2. Hurts Like Heaven - A brilliantly Upbeat and toe-tapping intro. A tad cheesy / pop-esque, but a brilliant start to the album 3. Paradise - This is an odd one - on the first few listens, it's wishy-washy and flat. I hated it. But give it time and you're singing along to the highly infectious "Para-Para-Paradise". A very strong track 4. Charlie Brown - This one's my favourite and should particularly appeal to X&Y / Viva Fans. A delightful blend of strength and emotion. Classic Coldplay 5. Us Against the World - A nudge to their older styles. It's gentle, acoustic and very pleasant 6. M.M.I.X. - Another interlude. Not to be underestimated though, it's a perfect lead-up to what is perhaps the best-known song of this album: 7. Every Teardrop... blah blah - Overall a solid and a thoroughly enjoyable track (Still good after 100+ listens) the second half feels a bit messy with a lot of different instruments mixed in though 8. Major Minus - A dark, powerful yet quirky piece. Quite infectious as the "got one eye on the road and one on you" quickly sticks 9. U.F.O. - A bit underwhelming after some of the bigger tracks of the album, but is a lovely little acoustic piece 10. Princess of China - Coldplay and Rihanna!? I had nightmares about this one. But to their credit, they've done this one well. It's sharp, loaded with synth and Rihanna makes a superb contribution (It's ok, it's not like Lost+, you can come out from behind the sofa now) 11. Up In Flames - Personally my favourite ballad of the album. Haunting yet very beautiful 12. A Hopeful Transmission - Another 30 second interlude. Nothing special though 13. Don't Let It Break Your Heart - My least favourite. To this day I still have no idea what Chris is singing. It sounds pleasant and upbeat, but lacks the usual Coldplay edge 14. Up With The Birds - The finale to the album carries hints of 'Amsterdam' and 'Death & All His Friends'. It's nicely done but the crescendo feels more underwhelming than it could have been. Overall, a brilliant piece of work by Coldplay that keeps their style whilst pushing the boat into new territory - just needs some breaking in
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best album we've bought for ages!,
By
This review is from: Mylo Xyloto (Audio CD)
Bought this album after watching them live on TV and don't regret it. Way better than expected, with a good variety of songs.
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