Ghost Stories

I have every Coldplay album and have watched them develop throughout the years. I eagerly awaited the release of "Ghost Stories" and it is again, yet another example of how they can take a topic, whether sad or happy, pensive or fleeting and make you feel the energy, depth and beauty of it. Yes this is a "break up" album but it is one of the most upbeat, respectful and positive ones I've ever heard. No "tearing the eye sockets out, bitter, I'm going to die stuff" here. It is journey of different emotions through the different stages. I must remind folks that Coldplay members ALL contribute to the song writing. They have always been adamant to point this out and the album says as such. It may be Martin's break up but the whole band is right there on the journey and contributing to each and every song. I actually sing "Magic" to my partner as a love song. Yes....there are the lyrics about being "broken, broken into two but I call it magic, when I'm with you". Well, love does that doesn't it? To be with another you have to be two, give up some of yourself...and it does feel like your broken into two at times. Martin states that "The idea of Ghost Stories, for me, was how do you let the things that happen to you in the past - your ghosts - how do you let them affect your present and your future?" Good question for us all and food for thought. It is a recurring theme throughout the album. Coldplay's lyrics have always been sparse but the music, the melodies and presentation always hits the mark....takes you exactly where they want you to go. There is nothing boring about this album and there is still a joy and an honoring behind the loss. That takes some doing. I recommend people listen to it a few times before passing judgment. I for one think the album will grow on you and you'll be taken to that place Coldplay always creates with its music whether it's "Yellow", "Paradise", "Clocks" or the haunting "Another's Arms" off of "Ghost Stories". I recommend people buy the "Delux" album with "All Your Friends" and the lovely "Ghost Story" tracks. I also must add in closing, while I love Bon Iver, for folks to say Coldplay is ripping off BI's sound is as ridiculous as saying BI is ripping off Coldplay's "sound". This is a great album and it is all their own unique energy, their synchronous way they write and perform together as a band and the great songs which make it so.

My actual rating for this album is 4.5 stars (when is Amazon going to finally make half stars an option?). Ghost Stories is a much more cohesive work than its predecessor. It also returns Coldplay to a more mellow sound, albeit not exactly like Parachutes. There's still more synth this time around than on the band's debut album, but it isn't overused the way it was on Mylo Xyloto. It's also more consistently strong than Mylo Xyloto, which I feel had an excellent first half before blowing up into a lot of poppy noise (some of it including Rhianna) on most of the second half. Lyrically, this is a major departure for Chris Martin as this is the first time a Coldplay album has focused entirely on love and heartbreak. You would think that given the recent end of his marriage, the well of emotion would be a bit deeper and he could pen a chorus or two that's longer than "Tell me you love me/If you don't, then lie (repeat)" (from the song "True Love"), yet the simplicity of the lyrics fits well with much of the album's minimalism. The albums greatest flaw is probably the hit single of "A Sky Full of Stars", which is an enjoyable track on it's own but sounds out of place and a little too EDM for this album. UPDATE 5/22: I just received the vinyl copy I ordered from Amazon and it sounds great. The only minor complaint I have is that there is a much longer gap on the vinyl between "O" and the hidden track than there is on the CD release. Not a major issue but at first I though my stylus was stuck. Also, I bought the Target exclusive CD with three extra tracks, and I have to disagree with other reviewers who say it is the best version to get. "Ghost Story", one of the Target exclusive tracks, is pretty good, but "All Your Friends" is bland and really does sound like elevator music. The third bonus is just a minute long reprise of "O". Unless you are the kind of person that has to have every single demo, extended cut and B-side a band releases, stick with the 9 song digital album, CD or Vinyl and you won't be missing anything.

I Came Upon COLDPLAY Kind Of Late-In-The-Game (Caught Them Perform "A Sky Full Of Stars" Live On The Graham Norton Show On BBC America). I Like Them...A Lot!! I Usually Go For Harder, But, COLDPLAY HAS A Nice, Flowing, Easy Sound...Something "Different". Akin To A New, 'New Wave' In Music, COLDPLAY Almost Defies Any Categorization. Closest I Can Come Is To Say Almost Like A Blending Of New Age With Pop And It Works Very Well & Seamlessly!!! (Nice Enough That I Followed This Up With Purchasing COLDPLAY'S "Viva La Vida"! (5* If You're Starting With COLDPLAY, Start There!) Cozy, Soothing & Uplifting, Not Only Are Chris Martin's Vocals Quite Melodic, The Band Achieves Very Beautiful, Ethereal & Interesting Sounds, As Well. Musically, This Is About As Close To Heavenly As You Can Get!!! From Their Sound, I Think Florence & The Machine May Have Been Inspired By COLDPLAY (At Least On "Ceremonials"; They May Also Have Been Inspired By Annie Lennox, Solo & Formerly Of Eurythmics, In Addition To COLDPLAY'S Influence)...That's About The Only Other Band I Can Think Even Comes Close, For Sake Of Comparison, Or Mazzy Star, Of Which My New "Dream Duet" (For This Type Music) Now Includes Hope Sandoval, Former Lead Vocalist Of Mazzy Star, With Chris Martin!! I Can Dream And Listening To COLDPLAY Is "Dreamy"!!! (Also Seeming To Be Creating Music With This Merging Of Pop & New Age Is Gotye, "Making Mirrors"...None As Skillfully Crafted & Beautiful As COLDPLAY!) I Will Most Likely Decide To Look For A COLDPLAY DVD, As After Watching Some Live Performances, They're Definitely Worthwhile Viewing (In Addition To Listening) Pleasure!! Chris Martin's Singing Is Easy On The Ears, While He's Also Quite Easy On The Eyes!! (To Borrow A Song Title From Garbage, Gwyneth..."Stupid Girl"!!)

I don't have any complaints about this Coldplay album. I have read many of the unfavorable comments here and I cannot relate to any of them. It is my opinion that in order to thoroughly connect to the emotional content of this album one must be capable of empathy and opening oneself up to the emotional vulnerability of others. The mood of most of the album leans towards melancholy but is beautiful nonetheless. True to Coldplay tradition the lyrics are very simple and straight forward. I especially enjoy Chris Martin's use of his skillful falsetto on several tracks. In the song 'Magic' his vocals effortlessly increase an octave from full voice to falsetto - on my first listen it was an awesome surprise. Martin manages to outdo the technical vocal prowess of Thom Yorke of Radiohead this time around. The album is brilliantly crafted and meticulously produced. Kudos to Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion for contributing their excellent musicianship, colorful background vocal harmonies, along with their aplomb in producing some unique and beautiful musical soundscapes. It is difficult for me to pick favorite tracks on the album because I always listen to it from start to finish. But there's a treat for the ears on every track. Of all Coldplay's previous albums this one reminds me of the raw and universal emotions I hear in the lyrics of 'Shiver,' 'Trouble,' and 'Yellow,' from the band's freshman album "Parachutes." I highly recommend this album and that you listen to it on a sweet sounding audio system or a high quality pair of headphones.

Coldplay. I remember well seeing the video for "Yellow" in January 2001 and buying "Parachutes" just based on that song alone. However, at the time I didn't think it was a great album. So, I skipped "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" in 2002 until "Clocks" was so overplayed that it was virtually in my DNA. So, I bought that album, too. And then all albums that followed. Now, Coldplay are not one of my favorite bands, but I do like them. They've always reminded me of U2, and that's why I like them. Each album has some really great songs surrounded by some mediocre songs. I'm not really sure why there is such a mixed response to "Ghost Stories" as it returns the band more to its acoustic beginnings. Sure, they still manage to add modern touches from their last album, but the overall feel of "Ghost Stories" is more somber like "Parachutes". I'm glad the band only put nine songs on here (although the over-priced deluxe edition with two extra songs would have been fine, too). Less is more, and the band gets that right on "Ghost Stories". My favorite track is "Ink". I like "Magic" and "A Sky Full Of Stars", and those have been released as singles. "Midnight" is the first single, and I'll admit it took several listens before I finally accepted it as a good song. "True Love" and "O" are also highlights. "Another's Arms" is pretty good too. So, the only song I'm still not really thrilled with is "Oceans". I don't know, it just kind of sits there, and I don't like the long, meandering instrumental coda at the end of it. Still, "Ghost Stories" is a solid album, just like "Mylo Xyloto" was. I went back and listened to "Parachutes, "A Rush Of Blood To The Head", "X & Y", "Viva La Vida" and "Mylo Xyloto" before writing this review. My opinion about some of those albums shifted, especially "Viva La Vida" which I didn't think was as good as I'd remembered it being, and the same with "X & Y". But, I realized I really liked "Mylo Xyloto" more than I remembered liking it back in 2011. Anyway, I liked "Ghost Stories". I think it's one of the best of 2014 so far. I still like Coldplay, and I still think they have more music in them. I sort of wish they would shake up their sound more. I mean, if they are secretly following in U2's footsteps then they need a right hook, like "Achtung, Baby". Here's how "Ghost Stories" compares with the band's previous works: 2000 Parachutes: Three Stars 2002 A Rush Of Blood To The Head: Four Stars 2005 X & Y: Three and a Half Stars 2008 Viva La Vida: Three and a Half Stars 2011 Mylo Xyloto: Four Stars 2014 Ghost Stories: Four Stars

This is Coldplay's darkest and most introspective album since Parachutes. It has a bit of a Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness vibe to it in terms of the theme. It's a great album with mostly quite listenable songs yet it has more feeling and emotion than their last few albums for sure. Critics ragged on Coldplay in the past for not really evoking more feeling in their music, and not letting listeners in on where they stood emotionally. Ghost Stories seems more personal, and given the public divorce Chris Martin is going through as this album is released, that seems apropos. Overall, the tone of the album is quite chill with some elements of revelatory introspection as well as sadness in the longing for true love . It ranges from emotional, moving solo piano pieces like "O" to Trentemoller Last Resort like ambience in "Midnight", to full on arms up in the air stadium anthems in "A Sky Full Of Stars". Ghost Stories is an album you can as dig as deep into as you want to while still looking up with optimism, and that's a good thing.

Before I start I want to make sure that it's clear that I am comparing this album to all of the other work they have done. My honest opinion is that this album might be slightly better than MX and I think that album is the worst of them all. The reason that I rated it three stars is because some songs are very catchy, smooth, and have a nice groove. Other songs are just terrible as if they were created from the minds of some innocent teenage pop wannabe (INK!!!! yuck). This is not the album I wanted, but I expected the worst. Just think about the lyrics. If you compare these lyrics to previous albums it down right sucks..No deep meaning, no story told expect for love. I was hoping for lyrics like "green eyes" that is purely love driven but also has this deep meaning behind it. We got none of that, expect for maybe one or two songs, the rest talked about love in a "lovey" way, not a meaningful way. Music: I sense the electronica progression which I expect to happen do to every other band getting into that groove in the past 3 years. It was over produced and the vocals seemed too clean for the album. If I recall, none of the songs have cool little intro's except for "always in my head" which I enjoyed. No unique song structures and the cord progressions stayed the same from the beginning of the song to the end, which Coldplay will change up in their previous albums. There more upbeat songs turned into pop songs, rather than rock and roll songs, that I am scared of. X and Y was a perfect example of what combining electronica and alternative rock should sound like, this album did not express any of the characteristics. Here is my top.. 9 list? haha: The first four are SO CLOSE. I could swap them back and forth. 1.)Oceans Love acoustic Coldplay, always will. Good lyrics, like Chris's voice. 2.) O You feel this song up and down your spine. "If I always" was sung the exact same way in Charlie Brown. Liked the meaning behind the song. 3.) Midnight When I first listened to this song I got the most intense, emotional response of pure endorphin flooding my entire brain. The break with Chris singing. "oOoOoO Ahhhh" oh man.. that hit me hard. Not a coldplay song but it was good. 4.) True love Catchy tune. Singing the chorus is enjoyable 5.) Always In My Head Nice intro, good overall song. 6.) Another's Arms I get his point and it is sad. Backing music is very nice. 7.) Magic Tooooo poppy for me... Too innocent for coldplay. Not diggin it. 8.) A Sky Full of Stars. Did I listen to a top 40's mix? Bland lyrics, don't like the chorus with the 4 to the floor beat. Just not Coldplay. 9.) INK Good god, what the heck is this song? Where DO I begin? Did Taylor swift make the lyrics? Where is the bridge, chorus? This song is just terrible for Coldplay material. Make sure to LISTEN TO ALL 2000 era CDs. There first four albums are to die for and don't be surprised if you get hooked for months on end.

I loved Coldplay's early albums, with Rush of Blood to the Head being one of my favorite go to albums, still. X&Y was good, and some songs from Viva la Vida. But in the latter, the band was turning towards a direction that I didn't enjoy any longer. Mylo Xyloto was horrid to my ears. So, I didn't have much hope for this new release, until I read comments saying that it was a huge departure from Mylo Xyloto and the pop-reaching lyrics and music that really didn't "say" anything. The commenters were right. This is a huge departure. And I love it. First, the band, or at least Chris, has something to say. And you don't just hear the words, you feel his heart. Second, the arrangements are pulled back from the stadium-pop-show-dance-party sound and complements the music well. Third, yes, there aren't heart pumping power anthems as in previous albums, but isn't that good? Whose life can be lived constantly that way? Given the context in which this album was written and released, I think this is a very fitting soundtrack to those who have lost and are dealing with the heartache that comes with it. If you like the band's earlier albums, I think you should take a chance on this one.