The latest one is very disappointing for a Coldplay single. However I kind of like it in a long lost follow up to This Is What It Feels Like kind of way.

This (the album) is now AVAILABLE to stream on iTunes on their artist page ahead of the release on Monday! The stream's accompanied by visuals which look absolutely marvelous.

 

Much excite :o

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by Chez Wombat

Meanwhile I've finally stopped being a flop loon and listened to 'A Sky Full Of Stars'. I was a bit hesitant about it because I didn't think a Coldplay/Avicii collab would work very well but nonetheless am predictably loving it.

 

I don't see any streaming on iTunes? (Probably just looking in completely the wrong place).

It's under 'Featured Video' on their artist page on iTunes. It's 40 minutes long, which I assume is the album accompanied by visuals.

 

(alternatively there's a link on the front banner on the main iTunes page)

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by Chez Wombat

It's under 'Featured Video' on their artist page on iTunes. It's 40 minutes long, which I assume is the album accompanied by visuals.

 

(alternatively there's a link on the front banner on the main iTunes page)

 

I clicked on the banner and it just takes me to a basic page with their albums and songs - I don't even see a 'Featured Video' heading. Bah.

That's odd, this is what I got:

 

http://i59.tinypic.com/207uyw3.jpg

 

http://i57.tinypic.com/i1jubb.png

 

That's about all I can do to help, sorry :(

Just finished listening to the full album. As expected, it's nice and mellow and kind of washes over you, but has enough sonic variation to keep things interesting. I really like the opening track and of course 'Magic', which has been one of my favorite songs of the year. The others are a bit indistinguishable to me on first listen (not necessarily a bad thing as I enjoy the album's cohesion). Also, I like how 'A Sky Full Of Stars' is the penultimate track as it doesn't seem disruptive in any way, as I thought it would - more climactic.

 

Obviously the album will do very well commercially from the off but I imagine it'll lend itself to a lot of word-of-mouth interest as it seems very much like a grower. I'm picturing late night driving, post-breakup epiphany-type stuff :P.

That's odd, this is what I got:

 

http://i59.tinypic.com/207uyw3.jpg

 

http://i57.tinypic.com/i1jubb.png

 

That's about all I can do to help, sorry :(

 

All I get is this.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ewYtHJ2.png

 

This is highly distressing.

 

(Not that I was actually planning to stream it before release anyway, just annoying that I don't seem to get the option to)

^ Follow the link in this article: http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/77271 and then click 'watch now' (if you actually want to listen to it!).

Haha. I was wondering what the Avicii collaboration might sound like and it's exactly how I expected. Midnight is wonderful. Magic isn't.

Okay, this album is definitely less BLAH than Mylo Xyloto but it doesn't really make me want to listen to it again either. Sky Full of Stars is the first thing that is anything good since the wonderful Viva La Vida era.

Midnight is great, though. Pity they didn't stick with the less obviously Coldplay sound.

Edited May 14, 201411 yr by AnthonyT

A very welcome new direction for Coldplay... Loving A Sky Full of Stars! Let's hope for a number 1.

OK, my initial thoughts (scores may be slightly inflated because I'm a loon :P):

 

Always In My Head - Really lovely opener, wonderful vocals and production 8/10

Magic - Went from just liking it to LOVING this and it still gets better with every listen :heart: 9/10

Ink - Feels a bit samey coming after Magic, one of the more forgettable tracks 6/10

True Love - A bit better than the last one, Timbaland produced and it shows, very Apologise-esque 8/10

Midnight - Feels a lot more experimental coming after these two, amaze though :heart: 9/10

Another's Arms - Again, really nice, little bit like True Love again with a bit more of an experimental sound to it so it doesn't sound to out of place following Midnight 8/10

Oceans - Running out of things to say here, but keeping with the nice acoustic sound 7/10

A Sky Full of Stars - Definitely the only thing that sounds really commercial here and could easily slot onto Mylo Xyloto. Avicii has become just a little bit overexposed for me and I was initially disappointed by this, but it's already growing and I'll probably end up loving it, just still sounds a bit too tailor made to be a hit. Doesn't really sound out of place though as Noah said, just like a sudden burst of life in the story. 8/10

O - Back to the very subtle stuff, but this one stood out a bit more to me, I actually really love this, accompanied by a piano backing, it's really lovely 9/10

 

Quite a wonderful album, albeit one that will probably take a few listens before it sounds truly special, but I'm a very much of a fan of them returning to their subtle roots. The first half until Midnight is very reflective of their old sound from Parachutes/Rush of Blood..., Midnight reflects a slight experimental turning point but still keeps with the subtle sound, before a Sky Full of Stars comes and shoots back to their anthemic sound and O ends it on a subtle note. Fans of their X&Y/Mylo Xyloto sort of sound probably won't enjoy this as much, but there's a of harking back to their older stuff.

 

The three singles so far are definitely the highlights, I'm not sure there's anything else that instantly sounds like it will smash or massively 'WOW' worthy though (I can dream with O but it probably won't happen :( )

Edited May 14, 201411 yr by Chez Wombat

Midnight is great, though. Pity they didn't stick with the less obviously Coldplay sound.

 

To me it just sounds like they're big time trying to copy Radiohead on that song.

Coldplay have never been a very original band - I mean, X&Y might as well have been a U2 tribute album - so trying to sound like an interesting Radiohead song is just fine with me.

Coldplay have never been a very original band - I mean, X&Y might as well have been a U2 tribute album - so trying to sound like an interesting Radiohead song is just fine with me.

 

They are not the most original band ever but when bands of their magnitude are signed majors, they lose a lot of their creative control and this has always clearly shown with coldplay.

 

Nonetheless, think Chris Martin has a great voice and has wrote some of the best peice's of music i've heard over the last 10 years...

 

Love this track, simplicity in its finest form!

 

[Video is a bit weak to say the least]

They are pretty good at mimicking their influences. I don't deny that they are a great singles band - especially up to 2008 anyway.

Just listened and quite like it on the whole. There aren't really any immediate standouts beyond 'Sky Full of Stars' which i'm loving on first listen, but there's a lot of nice moments scattered throughout. It's all very, very samey which isn't necessarily a bad thing because it works as a dreamy escape without letting you get out of it. Probably won't return to it as much as i did the other albums but it's decent enough.

Midnight is great, though. Pity they didn't stick with the less obviously Coldplay sound.

 

THIS!!

 

Antony IS the thread!!

 

I loved Midnight, so alternative, the rest has been bland and uninspired. Sky Full of Stars is ATROCIOUS.

 

I wished they'd kept thta sort of dreamy, Florence and the Machine/ Vanessa Carlton/ Nerina Pallot deep genre.

 

Mylo Xylto is so much better y'all.