Coldplay

The first proper track on Coldplay’s new album Mylo Xyloto bursts out much like the cover art’s explosion of colorful graffiti. The energetic pace on “Hurts Like Heaven” suggests that Coldplay has deviated from their famous formula. 15 years into their career, it seems like prime time for Coldplay to undergo a reinvention akin to their arena-rock forebearers U2’s Achtung Baby. Thus Coldplay, allied with Brian Eno once again, release the lyrical love story of Mylo and Xyloto, two adolescents who fashion their love story as a non-violent rebellion against destructive forces in society.

Lyrically, the album draws inspiration from the anti-Nazi White Rose movement led by German university students during Hitler’s rise: “From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song/ Don’t want to see another generation drop.” On the same track, lead single “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” Martin croons, “Slow it down/ Through chaos as it swirls/ It’s us against the world,” reiterating the motif of youthful optimism—a belief that love is a formidable force. Martin sings to the rafters to bolster the idea, and drives it home with hyperbole: “Every siren is a symphony/ Every tear’s a waterfall.” His lyrics, never the band’s strong suit, per se, still do well to convey the intended concept.

Coldplay’s music continues on the art-rock path established with Viva la Vida, while referencing the austere, memorable melodies of their earlier albums’ hits. Synthesizers and distorted guitars couple with piano refrains and simple acoustic accompaniments in songs like “Major Minus,” “Paradise” and “Princess of China.” Lead guitarist Johnny Buckland contributes surprisingly amped-up guitar licks, but like the band’s previous efforts, the album never breaks into straight-ahead rock. Remnants of X&Y-era Coldplay permeate the album; organs, pianos and mellow strings emerge dynamically from the more abundant electric elements of Mylo Xyloto.

Throughout the album’s fourteen tracks, Mylo Xyloto maintains impeccable cohesion. While the album is plenty devoted to its concept, it lacks the ambition that typically constitutes this form—disappointing for a band with this much on-stage theatrical panache. The product is somewhat trite, but it’s optimistic album with a happy ending, which—in the contentious boiler-room of 2011—is a pleasant surprise.