Everyday Life

As the previous album , HEADFUL OF DREAMS gave us a possible finale to this bands current state as a band .. I was surprised to see they were releasing another album.. Not only is this a great album.. it’s an IMPORTANT album as far as COLDPLAY is concerned.. their follow up to a very poppy Headful of dreams was a trip back to THE Worldly experimentation of DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS .. “my fav. CP RECORD PERIOD .. it’s also littered with elements they haven’t included in other albums they’ve done .. DADDY was prob the most intense song that effected me personally being that I’m going through an awful custody battle .. it’s From the point of view of a child who doesn’t see their papa much .. absolutely beautiful and haunting song

The originality woven through every song, be it experimentally or in a throwback to some tried and true methods, is simply beautiful. This is what the world needs more of. To all those “nay-sayer” reviewers, it’s clear you didn’t listen to this album from start to finish… shame on you. Bravo Coldplay, you’ve done it again. Thank you for all you do!

Why so much dislike?

I've listened to Coldplay since the beginning. To say I loved their music is an understatement. Their albums have seen me through twenty years of cancer, losing my dad, and other traumas. When I couldn't sleep at night, it was Coldplay who kept me company. I've listened to this new album a couple times, hoping it would grow on me, but I'm not even 'meh' about it, I hate it. I LOVE when musicians include African, Indian, etc inspired elements, but this music just isn't good. The whole police nonsense in Trouble in Town.....well, I know, today people hate police, but my husband gave 25 years of his life to serving the public. He was a commander when he retired and he required excellency and professionalism from all the officers under him. The job stress was insane and he was nearly killed on duty (don't want to get into that) and he has many scars to prove it. In his 25 years, not one officer of his shot a person or killed anyone, throughout the huge agency. We did lose many officers in the line of duty; I can't even keep track of all the funerals we've been to laying fellow officers to rest. (Yes, there are bad cops and far too many bad corrupt PDs, but it seems like that's the majority because that's all the news reports). So for Coldplay to be 'woke' in the 'police are pigs' trend, it's hugely disappointing. Animal Farm is one of the best books ever written, so I always applaud literature references in music. Aside from that, the entire album seems like some bizarre experimental collection of music that doesn't come near to the excellency which we know Coldplay is capable. At least I still have Bon Iver and The National to keep me company next week when yet another two brain tumours will be removed. TL/DR: hate the album. Bring back Coldplay.

I always find it disappointing when an artist or band who has gone their entire music career without any swear words or cursing in their music and then turns the wrong corner. That was something I always appreciated about them. I’m not impressed.

Uh!

I truly disagree with everyone out there who is giving this record a one star because of the new sound and explicit album. If you listened to this album in its entirety and went back to it, you’d know that “Orphans” and “Champion Of The World” are really the only pop song on this album. So I’d stop labeling this as a pop album. The thing that make artists that have been around as long as Coldplay, are the people who enjoy change and don’t. Artists are supposed to change their style, not everyone is going to like it. Now this album isn’t perfect, but I don’t believe it’s deserving of the ridicule it’s received since release.

This is the music that made me fall in love with Coldplay!! They went back to their roots from where they started and came back, awesome!!

It’s unsurprising that this album has mixed reviews. Coldplay has transitioned from moody acoustics, to thumping arena rock, to radio-friendly pop and dance. It’s no wonder then that fans of Coldplay are as diverse as their discography. While this did afford them the title of “biggest band in the world” it was not without consequences. Since the release of X&Y, each subsequent Coldplay album has further alienated more and more of their fan base. Has the quality of their music declined, as so many fans have cried? I believe not, rather their constant pursuit of new genres and sound has driven fans away as they stopped producing whatever kind of Coldplay a particular fan likes best. In the context of this career arc, Everyday Life is a nail in Coldplay’s coffin, a deeply experimental and unique sound that doesn’t care whatever Coldplay you want them to be. It’s a hard shift away from the previous effort, A Head Full of Dreams. That album was Coldplay at their most optimistic, and most vapid. Here they take a pointed stance. Almost every track is politically loaded, sometimes cringe-inducing in their lyrics. “Guns” is the most egregious of these, parodying the right with lyrics such as “cut the forests their so dumb.” Not exactly a subtle take, but after years of vague, meandering lyrics it is refreshing to hear Chris tell us all what he really thinks about the world. Despite the band being very socially active, rarely has their worldview been allowed to seep into their music. Now they unload all of it into a single album without restraint. Police brutality, gun control, civil war, racism, all are topics we are now privy to the bands opinions on. This likely played a large part in the albums lukewarm reception, although none of Martin’s left wing takes should be a surprise if you at all followed the band outside of their music. But despite the pointed spear their lyrics are sharpened into, the most shocking change of all in this release is the sheer breadth of styles the band attempts to cover. A wide range of musical influences has been par for the course since Viva, but this album features the most diverse track list to date. The jazzy riffs of Arabesque and the near evangelical sound of Broken are extreme departures for the band, and the entire album is filled with an Arabic theme that gives even their more traditional songs a distinct feel. Those traditional hits are good too, Orphans upbeat feel and resonating chorus harkens back to MX and Viva’s arena rock classics, while the appropriately yet unfortunately titled Daddy is a piano ballad so hauntingly beautiful that it puts many of the Rush of Blood to the Head era tracks to shame. Coldplay may be experimenting with who they are now, but they haven’t forgotten where they came from. However great the album is, it continues to disappoint fans. If you were a fan of their clean, vague, radio friendly sound, you will be put off by their profanity laced political takes. If you loved the upbeat big rock and pop smashes, the moody, gentle take of most of the tracks won’t give you much to be excited about. And if you long for the acoustic guitars and Chris’ gentle crooning of the early days, that Coldplay is never coming back. This album does not appease any particular fans of the band. But if you like Coldplay not for a particular sound, not for an era or a genre you wish they would return to, then Everyday Life is a beautiful album that is absolutely worth purchasing.

This album is intense, empathetic, somber and soulful. Arabesque is funky, Sunrise is too beautiful for words, and Trouble in Town echoes the horrible reality of navigating life in a world riddled with injustice and hate. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. Every Coldplay album is a work of art. Johnny, Will, Guy & Chris, thanks for another awesome album! Much respect from Wisconsin.