If I had to sum up Mylo Xyloto, the fifth studio album from British alternative rock band Coldplay in one sentence, I would say that it is an eclectic mix of old and new styles that this group has developed over the years. Coldplay has slowly transformed from an acoustic guitar and piano driven rock group to an electronic driving alternative rock/pop group. This transformation was seen at first on their album X&Y with the piano disappearing a bit to make way for more electric guitar and further developed with Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Now Mylo Xyloto reminds Coldplay fans of the past while letting them discover what may be the future of this talented group.
The album starts with the title track which is a 43 second orchestral style opening which builds and leads into Hurts Like Heaven as if it were part of the song. Hurts Like Heaven is very catchy and upbeat and even has an indie style sound to it. You can hear the electronic styles in the background while the driving beat and Chris Martin's infectious voice and anthem style lyric-less vocals at times take the lead. The next track Paradise develops fully into contemporary pop mode which reminds me of the anomalous Chris Cornell album, Scream which was produced by Timbaland. The next track Charlie Brown reverts back to the distinct anthem style with an oriental undertone which was present on Viva La Vida. The fourth song Us Against The World develops as an acoustic rock ballad which is reminiscent of their early work in Parachutes.
M.M.I.X. serves as a 50 second slowly building electronic interlude leading into the first single, Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall which also has a style which they developed in their previous work, Viva La Vida. The electric guitar parts in this song are extremely catchy and this track eventually develops into a very up-beat anthem style tune. Major Minus has a style that reminds me of Radiohead's music and Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head. It's driving and has ambient drums and bass which then develop into a driving force with catchy guitar parts and even a solo which is somewhat rare for Coldplay. U.F.O is the second ballad to come with great use of strings behind the acoustic guitar giving it an orchestra feeling. Princess of China is in my opinion Coldplay's most anomalous song to date, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It features Rihanna and fully embraces the new direction they have been taking. Without Chris Martin's voice Princess of China would never be recognized as a Coldplay song.
Up In Flames serves as another slow building ballad but with electronic undertones. It has repeating lyrics and eventually contains a very catchy electric guitar part which makes me happy every time I hear it. A Hopeful Transmission serves as the second musical interlude leading into the last two songs. Don't Let It Break Your Heart is definitely their classic style with a dose of electric feel containing all aspects of their development. It's very upbeat and has lyrics which bring hope and electric guitar parts underlining the anthem style music. Up With The Birds is the final song which is another ballad with an orchestral theme. It slowly builds and leaves a nostalgic, reflective feeling with the final portion of the song delivered with their classic piano style.
Overall I would rate this album as an 8 out of 10 with a great collection of old and new styles. Although the mix seems a little irregular at times with Coldplay switching between old and new styles, I've enjoyed listening to every song on the album multiple times. This band will continue to develop in ways that may seem unpredictable to the common fan, but with Chris Martin's voice dominating the classic anthem style music that they always seem to deliver, Coldplay will continue to be a group worthy of the widespread attention that they have gained. It will be interesting to see how this collection of songs translates into a live concert and it will be even more interesting to see which direction this iconic British alternative rock band will continue to develop in.
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