Coldplay are back. Yes, two and a half years after the release of 5th album Mylo Xyoloto, the Devonian rock group have announced details of 6th album Ghost Stories, to be released this May. It came almost out of nowhere, with hardly any warning whatsoever other than a few GIFs posted to their Facebook page. All that we know so far about the album is that there’ll be 9 songs, two of which have been released in the last week. The first of these, Midnight, saw a massive departure from the upbeat and happy sounds of Mylo Xyloto by making use of swirling synths, electronic beats and heavy autotune in a song which was so unlike Coldplay that it caused quite a stir amongst the fans. The second of these songs, Magic, is the first proper single to be lifted from the album.
Magic, despite still being some kind of departure, see’s Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion enter R’n’B territory, with an electronic drum beat and guitar melody being the main focal point. With the inclusion of some piano and a catchy refrain (one of their poppiest yet), the song demonstrates Coldplay’s ability to make a catchy pop song whilst still experimenting with sounds. It’s an extremely laid back track, somewhat similair to Coldplay’s older releases, with the song gradually building up towards the end and climaxing with a real glorious feel to it. It may not be a spectacular comeback from the four-piece, but the shift from upbeat rock to smooth, electronic R’n’B will definitely be something which makes Ghost Stories one of the most exciting albums of the year.
3.5/5
