VZ Magazine

It's tough to sound ballsy on a topic as emasculating as a break-up, especially from a first-hand point of view.

Miles Zuniga broaches the well-covered subject with more raw emotion than venom on his first full-length solo project, These Ghosts Have Bones, an 11-track CD, digital download and vinyl record (!) released Sept. 27, 2011.

Zuniga provides an unfiltered look into his broken heart on These Ghosts Have Bones; the album's title stemming from lyrics on masterful opening track "Marfa Moonlight" ("I wake up all alone/These ghosts have bones"). "Wicked" punches a soulful jab ("She's wicked/Wicked and cruel/Oh, she'll make a fool of you") and "Working on a Love Song" tells the true-to-life story of Zuniga writing a tune on the road only to return home "Just to find that you were gone." Most heartbreaking is the Adam Levy co-penned "Now She's Just a Shadow," written after the passing of Levy's wife: "Happy times, well now they're through/Don't you be afraid to step into the light."

From the pained "Feel It in Your Kiss," on which he pleads, "You should leave me if you want to be free/But baby please don't tell lies to me," to the wounded "Elizabeth," featuring the lyrics "Right now I don't really care/To ever see your face again," Zuniga taps into the feelings we've all felt on both sides of relationship failures.

This isn't uncommon ground for the veteran frontman, whose recording history dates back to 1991 (Big Car) and whose canon of songs includes epistles such as Fastball's "This Is Not My Life" ("You took away my world/You took away my smile/You took away my life/You took away my reason to live") & "Our Misunderstanding" ("Has turned into a war"); as well as The Small Stars' "Girl Trouble" ("When you put away all the plans you made/And you drink every night to forget her") & "Love Is Grand" (Love will break your heart/Love will make it rain/Love is/A pain in the ass").

Perhaps most noteworthy about These Ghosts Have Bones is Zuniga's well-chosen "supporting cast" in addition to providing his own superb vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards, bass and moog bass. TGHB features fine performances from no fewer than 9 fellow musicians and 3 co-writers, drawing heavily from the native Texan's collaboration with Austin-based band The Resentments (Bruce Hughes & John Chipman artfully back up every track). Zuniga also blends beautifully with the flawless Brian Beken on "Working on a Love Song" (mandolin) & "Junkie Hands" (fiddle); and enigmatic jazz singer Kat Edmonson on "The Weatherman." Mixed by the legendary Bob Clearmountain, TGHB is a well-crafted and well-orchestrated "record/therapy session."

Zuniga also used a team concept to bankroll his project through online fundraising site Kickstarter, bringing in $27,355 from 153 financial backers. In return for their investments, donors received a variety of rewards including demos from Zuniga's song-writing past. These "bonus" discs provide a glimpse into the gut-wrenching process through which TGHB developed.

Although one of his best compositions, "Hopelessly Blue," didn't make the final cut, Zuniga ends the album with "You Can't Break My Heart" and gives the listener hope for an equally ear-pleasing follow-up to this impressive solo debut.

Coldplay’s latest album Mylo Xyloto finally comes out today, and if you are a Coldplay fan that has been waiting with great anticipation for the past few years I can honestly say this album is not going to disappoint you. If you are not a Coldplay fan then I can honestly say that this album is not going to convert you into one.

Mylo Xyloto is a solid business as usual album. The current singles off the album “Paradise” and “Every Tear Drop Is a Waterfall” are your typical Coldplay song; fun, good beat and easy to sing along with. This is true with a lot of the tracks on Mylo Xyloto, but there are also quite a few more slower songs on this album then there were on the previous album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The slow songs like "U.F.O." and "Up in Flames" are still good, but not as memorable.

Usually bands that become popular, such as Coldplay, tend to try too hard to become different that they don’t sound anything like they did on the previous album. This usually turns fans off. Other bands try not to change at all and find fans getting bored with their sound very quick. Coldplay during their career has managed to change their sound gradually from album to album without alienating their fans. If you don’t believe me listen to Parachutes again before you listen to this one. Going straight from that album to this one is quite a leap, but if you listen to all the albums in a row you can easily hear the progression.  This album continues with that progression as the band experiments with new sounds such as sweeping synths and hard beats.

The new sound that comes from this album doesn’t just come from the synthesizers and thumping beats. The collaboration with Rihana on “Princess of China” is a different sound for the group and also has an odd feel about it. This song felt out of place on the album and in my opinion seemed more like a song you would hear playing over the end credits of the latest Hollywood movie.

Now Mylo Xyloto is definitely not Coldplay’s best album, but I would not say it is their worst either. This is basically what I mean by calling it a business as usual album. The songs on this album are good, but not great. If you like Coldplay like I do and you are looking for some new songs to get stuck in your head then go ahead and pick up Mylo Xyloto.