7/10
Coldplay finally released their anticipated 5th studio album, “Mylo Xyloto“, and they are back but this time a little different, in my opinion it seems as if they are evolving their sound yet not losing their essence as a band and what they stand for, which is alternative rock music that appeals to almost everyone. However, with “Mylo Xyloto” I feel as if it was an overall good album production-wise, yet it was too overhyped and I felt let down because of the lack lyrics and more explained history behind them.
Let me explain why…
I love Coldplay, I seriously do. I am a firm believer that “Parachutes” was one of the best albums ever made and to this day I still play it and never get tired of it. While “Mylo Xyloto” stands as concept album, containing instrumental pieces (interludes) and a somewhat of a futuristic sound that justifies it’s dystopian nature. According to Coldplay’s vocalist, Chris Martin, the album is based on a love story with a happy ending, and it’s called “Mylo Xyloto” because “there are two protagonists, Mylo and Xyloto, who are living in an oppressive, dystopian urban environment, meet one another through a gang called “The Lost Boys”, and fall in love“. Throughout the album, you get the grasp of the story between Mylo and Xyloto, at the beginning in “Hurts Like Heaven” or “Paradise“, you get the beginning of the relationship, and as it progresses you see how everything changes for them in songs like “Princess of China” featuring Rihanna, where both protagonists wonder what could have been.
Even though the album ends on a good note,and it could be considered overall an upbeat and uplifting record, feeling more intimate than other albums but lyrically it didn’t do it for me. Production-wise was great, the instruments and the harmonies created had me going “wow” at times, but I expected some songs to have powerful, thought-provoking lyrics. I am aware that Coldplay isn’t known for writing essays on their lyrics or what not, but I felt as if the lyrics fell short. So much could have been said, yet they were basically 4-5 word verses, it seemed to me like they had a word count on some songs.
Coldplay as a band, seem to want to evolve their sound, and I’m thinking they are going the right way, introducing more synthesizers to the song creating a path for them in the pop-dance scene perhaps, because it’s what everyone is doing. In my opinion, “Mylo Xyloto” feels like an accoustic album and an electronic album had a baby and this was the result: a very happy album that will make you go out there in the world and want to achieve something. If this really is Coldplay’s last album (which I doubt it), I’m at least happy it ends on a cheerful note, however, I feel as if the band still has a long way to go and to experience with more sounds and perhaps their next album if they want to make it a concept one too, at least they’ll add more lyrics that can go along to the beautiful melodies they create.
Should you buy this album? Yes! Because there’s songs you will be listening to later on like the already popular “Paradise”, “Princess of China” and “Every Tear is A Waterfall”. Two of my favorite songs besides those are “Charlie Brown” and “U.F.O”.
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