Welcome back to another CDS Music Chart album review! Today I will be reviewing the new release from Coldplay. The band's 6th studio release, Ghost Stories, comes preceded by the release of two official singles ("Magic" and "A Sky Full of Stars") as well as a single promotional release ("Midnight"). The new album will reach most international markets (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand among others) on May 16th. The album arrives in the US, Greece, UK, Canada, France and Mexico on May 19th. Brazil, Italy and Spain will get the album on May 20th, and lastly Japan will release the album on May 21st. The album's lead single, "Magic", was released on March 3rd and received moderate success worldwide. It reached the top 10 on 23 charts in 18 counties including #1 in Portugal. It reached #24 on the US on the Billboard Hot 100 in it's debut frame. It managed to reach #18 on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 (though it recently rebounded 24-19. The album's promotional track, "Midnight", was first heard on February 25th (and later released for download on April 19th) and reached #65 on the US on the Billboard Hot 100, though it has yet to crack the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 (though it was able to debut on the extended chart at #54). Worldwide the track was a mediocre success reaching #1 in 3 countries (Portugal, Belgium and Luxembourg), and the top 10 in 9 countries total. The album's second official single, "A Sky Full of Stars", became the album's most successful track, reaching the top 10 in 12 out of 13 countries it has charted in (more charts are refreshing with the track's debut appearance overnight) and #1 in 5 countries. It became the album's 3rd consecutive release to reach #1 in Portugal, the 2nd consecutive track to reach #1 in Belgium and Luxembourg and the first track to reach #1 in Italy and Finland. It reached #24 on the US on the Billboard Hot 100 in it's debut frame. It managed to reach #17 on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50, also in it's debut frame. A Target only version of the album will be packaged with 3 bonus tracks in the United States.
1. "Always In My Head"
Featuring backing vocals from Apple, Chris Martin's daughter, "Always In My Head" is a subtle opener with a repetitive and consistent guitar and soft, mild vocals. To be honest it really isn't much more than that. If you're a Coldplay fan, you'll already know that that's what you would normaly expect from a typical album track. Sure, it's a little bit dull compared to the other tracks lifted from Ghost Stories, but it's still entertaining and sure to be a fan favorite.
It's tingling, touching, yet complicated love story but it remains short and sweet - like it should. The lyrics only take up about 2 and 1/2 minutes of the track while the complete first minute is an intro. It's a dive into Martin's troubled marriage, yet it remains veiled and protected -it's inside the box.
2. "Magic"
Though I was initially disappointed with this track, I have come to enjoy it. "Magic" shows the band returning to the sounds associated with their earlier albums, though in a more delicate and positive light. Upon first listen, it's underwhelming - I will admit. However, with each subsequent listen, the track seems to get better and better. The soulfully tinged single has a unique captivating quality, that draws you in again and again. It might not have been the best choice for lead single, but it definitely shows potential and is one of the most heartwarming Coldplay tracks in a long time. In simple terms, it's a pop radio facelift on the band's older material and styles.
3. "Ink"
Like other tracks before it, "Ink" is another entry into the Coldplay history books of tracks that don't actually have their title mentioned in the lyrics of the track. More importantly, "Ink" deals with Chris Martin's martial problems with Gwyneth Paltrow in a painfully deep way. Nearly reducing me to tears, the track is simply structured but has a hidden metaphor and meaning. With stinging vocals, and heart throbbing emotion, "Ink" truly is a deep cut filled to the brim with both a dying love and a tearful goodbye.
4. "True Love"
As the concept album begins to turn into a darker phase, a man (likely Chris Martin) tries to reunite with his lover in hopes that the swirling vortex of pain eventually ends. Unfortunately for him, his desperate plea for help is to no avail. "True Love" paws at the fading picture perfect image of a love once bound so tight, and asks the question "How can I keep this love true?". The answer isn't all that simple.
5. "Midnight"
The eerie and chilling experience of a 'ghost story' comes to life in this trancing, psychedelic track. Layered with bone rattling synths and abnormally filtered vocals, "Midnight" is a retrospective glance at the night sky and the acknowledgment of a finally faded. It's haunting but beautiful. It means everything and nothing at all - at the same time.
To be completely honest, I had no idea why Coldplay would release a track like this. It's not something the general public seems to be interested in. Then it hit me. Coldplay wants to cater to the pop markets with radio friendly releases such as "Magic" and "A Sky Full of Stars", as well as stay true to the sound their true fans know and love, all the while continuing to evolve. "Midnight" is the evolution phase, and I've got to say it looks like it's going to be a wicked ride.
Additionally, it can also be thought of as the point when the pained man decides to give up and accept the fact that no matter what he does or says, he won't be able to reunite with his lover.
6. "Another's Arms"
As the story is about to come to it's climax ("A Sky Full of Stars"), this chapter comes in to give a behind the scenes look at how the man is dealing with his loss. Unfortunately, he's sitting on the couch watching television, hoping she'll come back to him. That's a little bit pathetic, but it happens all the time. If he truly didn't want her to land in 'another's arms', he wouldn't be sitting there weeping - with that being said, read my thoughts below.
Driven by a "Clocks" inspired piano, "Another's Arms" is an instant favorite of mine. It's clearly a strong attempt at trying to be more modern, but with that being said, there are some notable throwback vibes reminiscent of the Parachutes and A Rush of Cold Blood to the Head eras. It's big, it's fun, and most of all it's an instant classic, and hopefully a future single from the album.
7. "Oceans"
The sparse acoustics included on this album are at their 'sparsest', with "Oceans" being perhaps the most stripped down track on the set - save for the minute long outro that leads perfectly into the next track. With waves of misty falsetto provided by lead singer Martin, "Oceans" paints a calm story of a natural ambience without even saying the word "oceans".
Proving that more is less, "Oceans" uses as few words as possible to show a transition, fueled by a bath of perfectly placed synths. As the track progresses, the woeful voice of the man in the story gets lost and drowns beneath the ocean of acoustics that quickly shape shift into stars lighting up the night sky - each one, memories of the blissful love that once was.
8. "A Sky Full of Stars"
Wow. This one track alone makes the album worth the purchase. The Avicii produced powerhouse single marks a dramatic change over past Coldplay outings. It completely blew me out of the park, instantly becoming one of my favorites from the 15 year old group. It's nice to see this included on an album that is largely populated by washed out, heart wrenching, and acoustic experiences. It truly is a masterpiece, and I'm not the only one who thinks so - It's the #2 most popular track worldwide today.
It's one of the album's best tracks, joining the ranks of "Another's Arms" and "Midnight".
9. "O" ("Fly On"/"O")
Just to clarify: The name of the 9th track is called "O". The 8 minute long track includes a nearly 4 minute section at the beginning reportedly called "Fly On", followed by several minutes of silence. Apparently "O" is the hidden 1 minute long track that includes a section of choir like music and several softly sung lines at the tail end of the 8 minute track.
The pianos yet again take over again in the solemn track that finds the end of the man's heartbreaking journey. He pronounces:
"Flock of birds/Hovering around
Into smoke I'm turned and rise, following them up/Still I always look up to the sky
Pray before the dawn/Cause they fly away
One minute they arrive/Next you know they're gone/Fly On"
And the waterworks begin. At this point, the pain has been unleashed and the realization of the need to move on is finally understood.
Overall, "O" is one of the most interesting creations on the entire album. Not only because the story receives an acoustic closure, but because the darkness and silence of being alone (simulated by the several minutes of silence through the track) finally tell a true ghost story; letting go and what it does to you. But the sudden clash of choir inspired ambience music that closes out the album sheds a small light on the subject, promising a future. Will that future be colorful and cheerful or gray and happy? It's a story known only by the ghosts.
Target Bonus Material:
The moodiness that we previously saw on "Magic" return on "All Your Friends", the first track on the Target exclusive deluxe edition. To be honest, it sounds like a slightly more haunted and creepy version of "Magic" with different lyrics. I guess the perfect way to describe it would be by calling it a Mylo Xyloto meets "Magic" combo that feels unnecessary, yet welcomed.
11. "Ghost Story"
This seemingly bright and resilient title track fits like an ending chapter to Mylo Xyloto, being the set's only track to boast a full guitar backdrop. It's calm and roaring at the same time, and its simplicity is at a new level. It's surprisingly strong though, given the fact that it is one of the most stripped down tracks on the album.
12. "O (Part 2/Reprise)"
I guess there really isn't much to say about "O (Part 2/Reprise)" because it's basically the same thing as the hidden track we heard at the end of the original "O" (which should have been titled "Fly On/O"), just it has been removed from the silence and stands alone as a new track. So here's what I said about this choir type ambience music initially:
"...But the sudden clash of choir inspired ambience music that closes out the album sheds a small light on the subject, promising a future..."
Rating (Subject to change): 87% (B+)
Overview: Ghost Stories is a heartbreaking collection compiled of chapters filled with both falsetto vocals and tear soaked regrets. As a concept album, Ghost Stories works well, like a best selling novel you can't put down. Take some chapters away however, and your left with a fragment of a story, something that doesn't quite make sense on it's own. Several of these chapters ("Ink", "True Love", and "O") simply fall apart when they stand alone, leaving behind mainly tears and bruises. With that being said, Ghost Stories has other sections that work extremely well alone ("Another's Arms", "A Sky Full of Stars" and "Midnight"). Still, if you truly want to appreciate the gentle acoustics, the gust busting lyrics, and the ambient synths, it's best to listen to this album as a 40 minute collection, from start to finish.
Compared to it's predecessor (Mylo Xyloto), Ghost Stories is more realistic. It's chalk full of calm melodies, lyrics from the heart, and it tells a real story. Mylo Xyloto felt like a masked collection of random pop radio friendly outtakes that were remastered and remixed. Ghost Stories is a bittersweet tale of love, betrayal, and moving on.
Among my favorites on the album, is the EDM laced "A Sky Full of Stars", the eerie alternative "Midnight", the misty acoustic "Oceans", and the "Clocks" inspired "Another's Arms". The lowest part of the collection may in fact be the opener, "Always In My Head".
Best Tracks (In order from best to worst):
1. "A Sky Full of Stars"
2. "Another's Arms"
3. "Midnight"
4. "Oceans"
5. "Magic"
6. "O"
7. "Ghost Story"
8. "Ink"
9. "True Love"
10. "All Your Friends"
11. "Always In My Head"
12. "O (Part 2/Reprise)"
What's your favorite track from Ghost Stories?
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