VZ Magazine

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.