Coldplay – “Everyday Life” Album Review

Story posted December 2, 2019 in Arts & Entertainment by Jack Grossman.

Coldplay has been known to be one of the most prominent and well-received bands in recent years, and they have achieved status as one of the highest regarded of all time. Chris Martin and his cohorts have spent a few years in the dark working on their next project "Everyday Life," which is a dramatic change in tone from their previous record.

When Coldplay changes their style, it has a track record of creating more memorable and revered records that are talked about for a long time, and this newest album is no exception.

Beginning with an instrumental "Sunrise" leading into "Church," you are reintroduced to the croons of Martin as he talks about longing for his partner, combined with the guitar-heavy sounds familiar to Coldplay's previous albums. However, the mixing and reverb allows this track to be a bit more euphoric than before, and the surprise incorporation of Arabic vocalization adds to its more trippy and otherworldly tone, which is a great indicator of the tone of the rest of the record.

"Trouble In Town" follows with one of the only few explicit labels on the record. It talks specifically about the discrimination of people of color in western countries, complete with audio footage of an officer being forceful with unknown pedestrians. It is woven right into the music of the track, and is in essence the backbone of it.

The first half of the album follows with some notable tracks: "BrokEn," a choir-heavy tribute to songwriter Brian Eno, "Daddy," an emotional ballad about a son longing to reconnect with his father, and "Arabesque," a saxophone-heavy commentary on the fear of Islam, its relation to terrorism, and how western countries blow it out of proportion.

By now, the listener can tell that this is Coldplay's response to the current state of the world. Mosts artists create albums that are commentary on society, but this is the first time the listener has seen a large collective record of this type from this band.

In addition to commentary on terrorism and discrimination of people of color, there is commentary on gun control ("Guns"), the war in Syria ("Orphans"), and even a touching tribute to the late musician Scott Hutchinson, who passed away in 2018 ("Champion Of The World").

This record is one of the more creative and introspective that Coldplay has made, yet it surprisingly fits snugly alongside their previous discography.

"Everyday Life" is one of the more ambitious albums that has come from the band. With the current state of the world, it is not uncommon to create music that provides one's own thoughts on the matters at hand, and this album is no exception.

Chris Martin has made one of the more interesting and evocative commentary albums in the wake of many before him, with the help of many vocal talents and features, and mixing to create a record that will keep people talking and thinking about the world for many more years to come.


Rating: 7/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Tracks: “Orphans”, “Church”, “Daddy”

Reviewer’s Least Favorite Track: “Old Friends”

 

 

Jack Grossman is a senior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jackdgrossman@gmail.com.