The London-based band known for classics such as “Yellow” and “Fix You” released their latest studio album, ‘Everyday Life,’ last Friday. While the album maintained the same signature elements of the peaceful, neutral tone that the band is known for, it also delved into profound subject matters. The album, which is split into two parts: ‘Sunrise’ (part 1) and ‘Sunset’ (part 2) discusses love, racism, faith, climate change, and gun violence, among other things. Although Coldplay has always been known for pushing the boundaries of mainstream music (namely, the success that “Viva la Vida,” relatively unorthodox for its time, achieved over a decade ago), it seems strange for them to make the leap into the discussion of today's most controversial subjects. Considering the fact that Coldplay have rarely in their lengthy careers presented themselves as spokespeople for any world issues, and especially in contrast with their relentlessly upbeat 2015 studio album ‘A Head Full of Dreams,’ this is certainly an interesting listen.
Aside from the unconventional themes the band chooses to convey through this record, a plus for the album is the vast variety of the types of sound that Coldplay uses throughout its sixteen tracks. The diversity of genres included in the album is impressive. The band is able to use gospel elements (e.g. ‘BrokEn’), pop components (e.g. ‘Cry Cry Cry’ and ‘Church’), and even classical sounds (e.g. ‘Sunrise’ and ‘When I Need A Friend’), among others. Surprisingly, the execution is successful across the board, regardless of the genre, and this is worth noting.
Personally, I have never been a major follower of Coldplay, so to say that I generally enjoy their music would not be a true statement. While I can recognize that, objectively, the album was well-made, I don’t particularly enjoy it as a whole. To me, it sounds like something that could be played on a loop in a hipster coffee shop, as most of it is flowy, structure-less, four-minute segments of sound. With the exception of ‘Cry Cry Cry,’ I don’t believe that I would personally ever return to this album.
A plus for the album is the vast variety of the types of sound that Coldplay uses throughout
Putting my own biases aside, I could tell this album was a product of tremendous effort and a real passion for music as a whole. To me, this deserves merit, as this is getting increasingly more difficult to come across in the modern music scene. Therefore, I would give this album a solid 7/10.
