Billboard is raving about Coldplay upcoming album (out this Monday) and gave it
85/100
Here are some highlights:
1. Always In My Head - "Ghost Stories" begins with what sounds like literal ghost stories, as Martin admits to sleepless nights while a faceless voice floats behind him. As guitar curly-q's float upward, the singer sounds more broken than ever, as if every insecurity hurts to say aloud in fear that it will become true.
3. Ink - The pops of percussion are married with pensive guitar strokes as Martin delivers the first line, "Got a tattoo that said 'Together Through Life'/Carved in your name with my pocket knife." When the music swells up, it does so politely, and Martin finally lets his cry escape on the second verse.
4. True Love - There's another mention of "the fire below" as Martin settles in over heavy rhythms, dancing synths and wallowing strings to deliver perhaps the saddest song on the album. Repetition is key on "Ghost Stories," as Martin echoes his phrases -- "Tell me you love me, if you don't then lie" -- to create a sense of begging.
5. Midnight
The first song released from "Ghost Stories," "Midnight" finds Martin actually sounding like a ghost, his distorted vocals croaking requests like "leave a light, a light on." It's not "Kid A" and it's a little too long, but stylistically, "Midnight" makes sense in the middle of the album, and harkens back to shuddering early singles like "Trouble."
7. Oceans - A blinking signal reminiscent of a sonar is one of the neat production details on "Oceans," which also smartly echoes the word "trying" when Martin sings, "Behind the walls, love/I'm trying to change." The singer sounds like Nick Drake on the track, his eyes fixed on the ground before the music needlessly noodles around for nearly two minutes after the proper song concludes.
8. A Sky Full Of Stars
The one instance of "Mylo Xyloto"-era Coldplay seeping in, "A Sky Full of Stars" is a joyous dance cut crafted by Avicii, and a honeycomb of energy that the album needs. Martin still sounds forlorn, of course; he sings, "Cause in a sky full of stars/I think I saw you," with "think" being the crucial word.
9. O -
Before the hidden track of guitar and ghostly voices (think Bjork's "Vespertine"), this beautifully produced piano ballad poignantly offers a sense of hope and forgiveness. Similar to "X&Y" closer "Til Kingdom Come," "O" is stripped of pretense, and Martin sounds utterly exhausted by the final line.
