Album Review: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

So, the World's Biggest Band are back with their fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto. Much has been made of the lurch in musical direction that Chris Martin and the boys have taken on this record, encompassing the current trend for synth driven R&B and underlined by the appearance of pop princess Rihanna on the track Princess of China.

So, what's the verdict?

Well. I'll be honest - it sounds to me much like just another Coldplay record. It's hardly as if they've eschewed Jonny Buckland's guitar riffs in favour of David Guetta-esque rave synths and the electronica they do use is there to support the band's existing sound, not to replace it. The last couple of minutes of single Paradise are a case in point - a Buckland guitar solo with Chris Martin singing 'para, para, paradise' in a falsetto voice is hardly a major musical deviation, is it?

All in all, Mylo Xyloto is another great Coldplay record. In many ways it is an album of two halves - the first half is full of the terrific, driving, high quality guitar pop for which the band have become synonymous, highlighted by the brilliant single Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall and the catchy Hurts Like Heaven.

It is an album that trails off a bit in the second half, though. I'm not sure that their Rihanna collaboration, Princess of China, really works whilst Up With The Birds ends the album on a whimper rather than on a bang. I do like the melancholy Up In Flames, though which channels Fix You throughout.

All in all, there's not that much bonkers musical madness going on here. It's clearly a new Coldplay record and whilst there may be the odd synthesizer in the mix, they haven't turned into JLS overnight. All the familiar ingredients are present which means that, if you like Coldplay (which I do), there's plenty to enjoy.