A Head Full of Dreams, for all its studio razzmatazz and encouragement of celebration, has no place at the party. Sure, their name tends to provoke rolling of eyes and genuine invective but you could easily cherry-pick from their discography and assemble something worthwhile. Like Bono and friends, Coldplay are a quite fine ‘Greatest Hits’ band. Love them or loathe them, they’ve been quite committed in their bid to usurp U2’s throne – and spray paint it in neon pinks and blues, presumably – and thus have pushed their sonic boundaries as much as a mainstream stadium-sized outfit can over the years. It’s odd to accuse Coldplay of a lack of ambition. However, he’s not interested in blurring the lines and so ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’, like so much of A Head Full of Dreams, is merely a throwaway nothing. There’s room for interesting duality here, and there’s no real reason why Martin can’t embrace the strange and thus mix light and dark effectively. Shortly after Martin speaks of magic like it’s some kind of previously unacknowledged human characteristic on the album-trailing ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’, he notes that he is ”a dream that died by light of day”. Yet the head feels weighed down with unresolved torment, the smile forced and awkward, the colours garish and messily-applied. If last year’s tonally confused Coldplay album Ghost Stories was Martin’s break-up record, A Head Full of Dreams is an attempt at moving on, rebounding into the sun with head held high, a smile on the face and bright colours painting the path. It’s got the requisite amount of look-to-the-heavens wonder and potential glass half empty subtext you come to expect from a pen that spills both exuberant and wistful ink, and, well, it’s really rather naff and desperate. It floats, transcends, even defies musical gravity at times with a compassionate message that hugs each of our aural senses and hearts one at a time.“ Turn your magic on!” could well be the Chris Martin lyric to end all Chris Martin lyrics. Music Of The Spheres is a thematic conceptual work of art that has outdone anything Coldplay has done on prior works. With superb piano work, delicate soundscapes, and engaging lyricism, this is not only one of the best tracks on the record but a phenomenal closer. The album ends with the stunning masterpiece, “Coloratura.” As if the record didn’t have its share of magical moments already, this completely blows you away with the emotional intro alone. Coldplay is proving they can collaborate with just about anyone on the planet and can make a meaningful and great song while doing so. Ascending in varying degrees of opulent vocal dissonance, it still retains the same celestial atmosphere of the album without the deep space instrumentals advertised thus far.Īnother full-bodied star-studded beauty featured on the album is “My Universe.” Full of love, vitality, and featuring one of the best Korean acts on the planet, BTS adds unique pop and rap flavors to an already lovely track. Moments such as “Heart” are rare gems where vocally, it is one of their best efforts on the album. Other spotlights here are “Humankind.” A zesty number that injects more heightened otherworldly energies into Music Of The Spheres, its arena-worthy presence is enough to keep people coming back for more. From beautiful production, trademark guitar riffs, and gorgeous celestial soundscapes, Coldplay paints this entire album with their original flair while conceptualizing the humane aspect within us that connects us all.įrom the beginning, Coldplay spares no expense with taking us to the stars and making us feel at one with them in their experience before jumping into electric lead single, “Higher Power.” With bubbly ethereal zeal and ardent lyricism, this futuristic number keeps us engaged for what’s to come for the rest of the album.
Listening to Music Of The Spheres, there is a lot to digest, admire, and appreciate about this album. When looking at Coldplay’s latest album, Music Of The Spheres, the band has written an album of cosmic proportions that takes us on a planetary journey of hope, love, and the freedom that comes from that. When looking at music that takes us to a place among the stars and planets, there is a certain mystery, splendor, and allure that comes with it.