[tps_title]9. Coldplay – Ghost Stories[/tps_title]
I appreciate Coldplay’s ambition. They always try to go above and beyond their title of the biggest band in the world to make something that sounds different each time. This year, Coldplay presents us with “Ghost Stories”, a loose concept album detailing the longing and heartbreak felt after losing someone you love (obviously inspired by Martin’s break up with wife, Gwyneth Paltrow). From the first track, I didn’t like where this album was going. Martin’s played out, all-too-familiar lyricism, combined with his bland vocal delivery and unnerving falsetto is the key suspect in what brings this album down. The production, overall, is actually quite good, in spite of everything. The band shines in delivering a good atmosphere, aside from some confusing musical choices; i.e. the guitar solo on what is easily the worst track on this album, “True Love”, and the decision to collaborate with everyone’s favorite DJ, Avicii, on the album’s third single “Sky Full of Stars” and create a song that will surely find a great amount of play at middle school dances in the coming year. The album does contain a few interesting and compelling tracks in the middle, however, including one of the best songs I have heard from the band in a very long time: their collaboration with electronica producer Jon Hopkins, “Midnight”; a beautiful track that grips you with its atmospheric production and Martin’s haunting vocals delivered through a vocoder to astounding effect. But, on the whole, this album feels like nothing that will really stand the time, an album that will be forgotten in this band’s discography. A ghost.
By James Gilbert
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