Coldplay
Mylo Xyloto

Ok, that's enough now.

It's been two days since the release of Coldplay's latest album, and there's already a pseudo-intellectual protest movement attacking this work.

But what did you expect?? It's Coldplay, for goodness’ sake, not Arcade Fire (maybe..)!

Let's try to be objective: it's a fundamentally pop rock work, with some creative excursions. Why shouldn't that be appealing?

Analyzing the work, it starts with an instrumental (as it was with "Life In Technicolor" in "Viva La Vida"): the title track "Mylo Xyloto," quite irrelevant to my judgment in my opinion. Moving forward, we face "Hurts Like Heaven," a track that raises many questions in the beginning but then picks up the rhythm and focuses in the second half on a typical British pop rock style from a couple of decades ago that echoes the Cure right from the title (how to forget "Just Like Heaven?"), especially on a solo guitar that echoes "Pictures Of You" from the third minute. Not bad.

The third step is reserved for the second single, the now-famous "Paradise," which opens in a very "enoxified" manner (see the strings accompanying the track) and interestingly combines piano and drums, then guitars and synth. We could consider it a pop track, but certainly not in its most pejorative sense: the instrumental string interludes remind us of "Viva La Vida" and the catchiness is there even where there's less melody. Good.

In the fourth slot, we find "Charlie Brown," which starts with a vaguely "Technicolor-like" intro, then ascends as the seconds pass. A very good piece that would sound great covered by Fanfarlo, who could give much on the melodic cadence of this track (see the elusive points of contact with "Drowning Men" by the aforementioned)

"Us Against The World" is an honest ballad based on guitar that escapes mediocrity (meant in a negative sense, as heard everywhere) in the second half, where good Chris lets himself be carried away and the solo guitar opens up a sound carpet that leaves the listener not indifferent. This time they barely save themselves.

"M.M.I.X" is the second instrumental track, also neither disgraceful nor praiseworthy and quite irrelevant. Its function is essentially to pave the way for the most famous track, the first single, "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall," in my opinion, one of the best songs of the bunch. The synth opens what seems to be a musical dawn, then accompanied by the guitar and, subsequently, by the drums to orchestrate an emotional-instrumental crescendo that knows no relaxation. Chris Martin's voice rises more and more, giving the song a great increase in pathos, and the turnover between acoustic and electric guitar pairs perfectly with the melodic line. Really excellent.

The country-like guitar opening "Major Minus," a track already known for being released along with the first single, sets the tone for the most rock and guitar-based track of the album. Despite this, the power is stifled and the piece lacks the personality needed to approach the epicness of U2. This marks the start of the least qualitative moment of the group, which will continue with the following tracks.

In fact, track number nine, "U.F.O.," echoes "Us Against The World" without managing that little jump necessary to escape the mediocrity I mentioned earlier: the string foundation echoing Arcade Fire's "Neighborhood part. 4" isn't enough, and the track is remembered as a bland ballad, not even comparable to some great intimate moments of the band's early days.

Continuing this no-moment, a different recipe is attempted compared to the two previous tracks. It's a synth pop track with urban and r'n'b elements: here comes the most criticized moment of the album, "Princess Of China" feat. Rihanna. The "enoxification" saves the track at moments, where the string carpets are pleasing, and the melodic line suggests something. Overall, I don't agree with those who would impale Coldplay for this duet, in my opinion sufficient and too good given the natural difficulty of reconciling the two musical styles. But certainly, this track won't be a showpiece.

Of the negative series, if the previous piece can be considered the best, "Up In Flames" is perhaps the worst. A piano that says nothing, redundant, and a percussive base that has no reason to be. The last minute attempts, as it often happens, to redeem a track that is, in this case, unsalvageable. Luckily, it lasts just over three minutes.

Here we are at the third instrumental track, "A Hopeful Transmission," nicer than the previous ones but still barely influential. It has the merit of closing the worst moment of the album and opening up to a quality finale, of which the first episode (and penultimate of the bunch) is "Don't Let It Break Your Heart." The solo guitar and percussion base slightly recall "Every Teardrop...", but the track moves on personal grounds, albeit not new. There is a slight return of compositional and emotional vitality, Martin raises his voice again, and the piece stands out as a real pop rock that resembles something from the more mainstream indie-alternative (think The Killers from Sam's Town).

At the start of the last track "Up With The Birds," reminiscent of "U.F.O." and "Up In Flames," my eyes were already glazing over, but this time Coldplay doesn't let the track die in search of a late swan song: almost immediately the background becomes more solemn, and changes in rhythm don't make us wait. The guitar inserts itself mid-track, echoing the recipe that saved "Up Against The World," but this time they don't settle and raise the volume of the track, and a bit of "enoxification" is felt here too. Chris's voice finds well-placed high notes, and the finale reprises the piano in an un-laborious way. Test passed.

Overall, the album is of good level, certainly another hurdle overcome for a band that has managed to reinvent itself every time (with the risks involved). Good-naturedly, I put myself in their shoes, and even though I don't share Chris Martin's jubilant statements, I give four stars to the vitality of a group that perhaps has brought out everything it had, like a candle that produces the last flame before going out. Let's hope not.