Mylo Xyloto
Coldplay
Parlophone
Pop is making a comeback in mainstream charts, and Coldplay’s fifth album is no exception. The band has described Mylo Xyloto as a foray into pop, which is much more upbeat than your standard Coldplay album.
Mylo Xyloto, released Oct. 24, is infused with electronica and pop elements ― a deviance from the darker roots of their 2008 album, Viva La Vida.
Fans can still expect to hear the standard echoing guitars and Chris Martin’s distinct falsetto. However, this is all weaved in with more bass and synthesizers, which created a more electronic sound, slathered in Coldplay’s brand of musical optimism.
Another new venture for the band is the production of a concept album. The album is “based on a love story with a happy ending,” Martin told United Kingdom newspaper The Daily Mirror, adding that it captures the essence of love stories: ups, downs, whirlwinds and stills.
Techno-laden “Princess of China,” featuring Rihanna, is based on loss and heartbreak, while folksy and acoustic “Us Against the World” sounds like the happy ending of a romantic comedy.
Mylo Xyloto features a wide range of sounds, from the upbeat “Mylo Xyloto” and “Hurts Like Heaven” opening the album, to the twang-filled and acoustic “Major Minus.” Despite this great variance in use of sound, the album is uniquely harmonious with each song flowing into the next nearly seamlessly.
Only 45 minutes in length, the album is short and should be listened to in full. Individually, the songs are all right, but together they make a stunning piece of musical art, bringing a spectrum of rhythm and harmony that’s captured perfectly by its album cover, a colourful array of overlapping graffiti designs.
While it kicks the pop content up a notch, Mylo Xyloto is a far cry from the pop flooding the airwaves ― understandable, considering much of this pop fare is churned out by artists who were in elementary school when Coldplay started out.
The album is everything fans could expect of Coldplay: an imaginative journey of sound that takes listeners to another world, if only for a short time.