Mylo Xyloto (pronounced /ˈmaɪloʊ ˈzaɪlətoʊ/ MY-loh ZY-lə-toh) is the fifth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 24 October 2011. The band worked closely with producer Brian Eno following their successful collaboration on Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), the band's previous album. Mylo Xyloto is a concept album and a thematic rock opera. Read more on Last.fm.
Coldplay are a britpop band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University College London and began playing music together from 1996 to 1998, initially calling themselves Starfish. Coldplay's music incorporates elements of soft rock, pop rock, piano rock, and post-britpop.
After independently releasing an extended play, Safety (1998), Coldplay signed with Parlophone in 1999. Read more on Last.fm
Its new electronic sound kind of alienates Coldplay diehards that have grown alongside typical indie and Britpop music. The album seems to cling onto a motif of love, as seen in songs like “Princess of China”. However, it apparently being a concept album and a rock opera is definitely pushing the envelope. The album does pull through to create some heartfelt/stirring tracks like “Us Against the World”, but in the end it attempts to be so modern that it partially forgets where they started in the first place.
Coldplays fünftes Album lässt selbst eingefleischte Fans der Band am eingeschlagenen Weg zweifeln: Was sich im Album zuvor schon andeutete, nämlich eine stärkere Hinwendung zu elektronischen Klängen, wird hier auf die Spitze getrieben, vom bisherigen hymnischen Britpop und den von Chris Martins gefühlvoller Stimme getragenen Songs ist kaum etwas übriggeblieben. Das komplette Album wirkt wie ein überproduzierter, liebloser Klangteppich, aus dem nur selten einzelne starke Passagen oder gar ganze Lieder hervorstechen. Hoffentlich besinnen sich Coldplay zukünftig wieder auf ihre alten Stärken und beenden dieses unglückliche Experiment, bevor die Erinnerung an die grandiosen Songs ihrer ersten Alben allzu sehr verblasst.