Coldplay's 'new' direction...

Ha, those song titles. Wasn't their last album a Skyful of Stars or something? And this one is A Head Full of Dreams? Which makes me think of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HufrsUMIBA

gah, why spoil this thread w/greatness

Maybe Chris Martin is lurking and will learn something.

I'm excited for this. New song sounds awesome.

**shamelessly wears Coldplay fan badge**

Coldplay is doing a bit of Daft Punk, never thought i would see the day.

Obvious stadium move. Inevitable.

Coldplay going stadium?

That reminds me of this review:

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Psonic Psunspot [Geffen, 1987]
If this is XTC's real psychedelic album, what the hell was Skylarking? So call it their real psychedelic parody--a concept album about acid damage, which I guess they read about somewhere. I was going to complain that the word "precious" isn't in their vocabulary and ought to be when I noticed that the last song is called "Pale and Precious." Then I realized that for all its kaleidoscopic byplay the parody is a little pale as well. But with every other hook intact, "Pale and Precious" is the only track you might miss without the credits. B+

Coldplay is doing a bit of Daft Punk, never thought i would see the day.

please explain.
heard the new track today on the radio and really do not get the connection.
as for the track :
it's ok.
nothing more, nothing less.
summary : mumford and sons vs a drum track.
and for the record, i am not a hater.

I'd be interested to know if the song is knowingly pseudo-tropical house or if that's just a happy coincidence.

After a few more listens, song is okay. Hopes for the new album are enh.

I'll still buy it though.

So, it would seem that, in spite of them playing at the Superbowl (which I've only really heard about because of the negative publicity) that Coldplay's new album is as easy to ignore as the last one. A quick internet search shows that the album has been out for two months and yet again I have managed to not hear a single cut from the record, unintentionally or otherwise. I also notice that the record got an incredibly mixed reception, and performed absolutely woefully on the album chart pretty much everywhere aside from Norway, so even though it would seem like Mr. Hongro is still buying their records in bulk, it looks like the writing is on the wall, chaps.

It's a pure pop record. Ghost Stories had some substance, but I file the new one next to Mylo Xyloto because it's just going for the stadiums with nothing really substantial in terms of songs. It's nice while it's playing, but nothing memorable whatsoever happens. I'd rate it probably their worst album.

And I say all that as a fan who has found something to be liked on all of their albums.

The problem with the new one is it doesn't have the sad/release dynamic of their best stuff.

I did know they had a new one out as I was sick at the weekend, which resulted in me watching bits of the Coldplay documentary on Sky Arts on a diet of Uniflu and hot whiskeys.

The Guns n Roses documentary (The Most Dangerous Band In The World) was on right before it on BBC Four, which made the Coldplay one seem incredibly low-stakes in comparison - I kept waiting for a riot to happen, or Chris Martin to admonish his colleagues onstage for being a bit too fond of 'Mr Brownstone'.

More like Mylo Zzziloto

just going for the stadiums

"Sky Full Of Stars" was a big top 10 hit only a year ago and this album's promo cycle isn't over yet, i wouldn't count them out as far as commercial relevance yet. but i do get the impression that what they're planning to do next is, like, a Greatest Hits album and a breakup/hiatus for a Chris solo album or something.

That's my impression too. A Greatest Hits might be the best Coldplay album.

It's a cracking album, the new one. It's not as easy as it looks, touching people's hearts at the same time as making tunes that are ballsy enough to fill a big venue. I think Coldplay are just about the best proper pop band going right now.

that lead single really sounds like foals.

xpost Bah. It's really easy to do that. It just takes a certain kind of robotic soullessness to aim for that all the time (see: KLF, "The Manual," plenty of arena country)

Idea of Coldplay being any sort of go-to stadium band makes me pine for the worst of late 80s Kerr and Bono

Yeah, it's like chain fast food. Do people really go because it tastes good, or just because it's fast, easy and a good value for a ton of calories?

Hating somebody because they're popular always sounds a bit bitter to me ;-)

I don't hate Coldplay! I think you'll find me upthread saying I like their first four albums, to degrees. But I really, really don't like the last three, because they are so shameless in their triangulation. They're the Clintons of Rock.

They're so inoffensive it becomes an easy target. I don't hate them but their fans are very strange, at least the one I've met. I don't know if they don't listen to that much music or everything they listen falls in the same line but they honestly believe they're such a cool, innovative band. Come on, they're pretty much playing dadrock.

I like dadrock! There's nothing wrong with dadrock. It's the unctuous inoffensiveness that gets under my skin. They're like Maroon 5 with a delay pedal.

I never said there was anything wrong with dadrock. But dadrock is not innovative, cool music. It takes once innovative cool music, digests it and makes it acceptable for everyone to enjoy in the background.

If there concerts are anything similar to what they did on the superbowl, though. The venue owner would do better selling lattes than beers.

Their*

The venue owners would do better selling balloon animals.

New album's cack. Where's the fuckin' PIANO?

they did a surprisingly great Radiohead impersonation on recent single All I Can Think About Is You:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnLNG0WnGsI