"There's been precedent throughout the years of classic albums that have been of this ilk, subject matter wise. Whispers I'm hearing from the industry are that globally pre-orders are higher than they've ever been for a Coldplay album so it's clear the turmoil, the personal strife, that Chris Martin has been through certainly hasn't put off the fans. He said: "Coldplay have built themselves to the point they don't need a big radio hit to sell an album, they have a fan base that is salivating for every piece of work they send out into the market. The editor of music week, Tim Ingham, said Ghost Stories was a return to the maudlin, introspective character of the band's first album, Parachutes, and was confident Coldplay's loyal fanbase would give them the patience the album required. Besides, there can never be enough break-up albums." However, I do think Coldplay's outlook in recent years has felt so contrived and formulaic, though obviously it's a very commercially successful formula, so in my opinion this is a welcome change from Chris Martin. He said: "Breaking away from that catchy, anthem formula is obviously a risk because it is what has built Coldplay up into one of the most successful bands of our time and that massive audience they've built up might not go with them. Tom Wilcox, music producer and director of arts consultancy Counterculture, warned Coldplay's abandonment of their reliably upbeat formula on Ghost Stories could cost them their loyal fans. While fan and industry hopes are high for the album – described by Martin as 42 minutes on an emotional treadmill – the departure from the buoyant, anthemic hits from their past songs, such as Clocks, Viva la Vida and Paradise has left some wondering how their listeners will react to Martin's cathartic, heartbreak-infused songs. In another song, Ink, Martin sings the line "got us a tattoo to get us through life" which seems to directly reference the initial G he got tattooed on his inner arm as a tribute to his wife.
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Released less than two months after the lead singer, Chris Martin, announced his separation from his wife of 10 years, actor Gwyneth Paltrow, Ghost Stories – the band's sixth studio album – shows Martin openly lamenting the loss, loneliness and pain caused by his separation.įans, who have waited almost three years for the record, will hear lyrics such as "tell me you love me, if you don't then lie" on track True Love, which sit alongside "I don't care, go and tear me apart" on Sky Full of Stars and "to find yourself alone in this world" on Oceans – all composed as Martin's marriage fell apart.
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For the wounded spinners of Ghost Stories, it's time to shed the past, get back on that pony and head for the next adventure.From Blood on the Tracks to Tunnel of Love and Jagged Little Pill, the annals of music history are littered with heartbreak and melancholy.īut now Coldplay, a band that found global success with euphoric, stadium-filling songs, appears to have added their latest record to the canon of break-up albums.
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Those last two are the highlights of a minor album dealing with a tough but endurable setback in an otherwise charmed life. That serves some of these songs well, especially Magic, but you'll crave the synthesizer rush that comes only with Always In My Head, A Sky Full of Stars (featuring guest producer Avicii) and True Love. It doesn't help that the band has shifted from its grandiose and uplifting arena-size sound to a leaner approach that relies more on simple piano and acoustic guitar accompaniment. When Martin sings in True Love, "I've lost you now/ You let me go/ But one last time/ Tell me you love me/ If you don't then lie/ Oh, lie to me,'' it's sad, of course, and a bit pathetic, but there's no need to lock the liquor cabinet or anything.
Maybe spending some time in Nashville would have helped. But the results tend to be either mopey or emotionally restrained - things to avoid if you intend to profit from your pain. In fact, the band's sixth studio album, out May 19 and streaming now on iTunes Radio, isn't even a particularly memorable Coldplay album.įrontman and vocalist Chris Martin, whose marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow was crumbling during the writing and recording of the album (the first since 2011's Mylo Xyloto), pours aspects of that experience into nearly all of the nine songs' lyrics. Within the realm of memorable breakup albums, Coldplay's Ghost Stories (** ½ out of four) lacks the confessional gut-punch of Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, the acrimony of Richard and Linda Thompson's Shoot Out the Lights and the irresistible sonic appeal of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this review misspelled the album title Mylo Xyloto.