Album Review: Coldplay's 'A Head Full Of Dreams' Why The World Needs This Album
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In a world where violence and loss seems overbearing, Coldplay has managed to bring listeners a bit of uplifting relief by spreading the love on their new album A Head Full Of Dreams."
A Head Full Of Dreams follows a slightly different path that Coldplay started with Mylo Xyloto and followed through to last years release Ghost Stories. The melancholic sounds that resounded on past albums like Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to The Head have been transformed into uplifting songs of hope.
Watch Coldplay perform "Adventure of a Lifetime" on the Ellen DeGeneres show in the video below.
Take for example A Head Full of Dream's opening track which shares it's name with the album. Frontman Chris Martin's unique voice belts belts out the words, "Oh, I think I've landed, where there are miracles at work.
For the thirst and for the hunger come the conference of birds," setting one of the most pleasant pictures in a listeners mind mixed with tones and sounds that only Coldplay has managed to harness over the years.
Meanwhile, on "Birds" brings listeners together adding that we can all be fearless together. It's a notion that the world really needs right now. The idea of togetherness and freedom is what "Birds" and the entire album brings.
Coldplay is no longer following the pattern of British Alternative music, instead they've breached into the pop world and it's not a bad thing at all. When bands try to experiment or create a new sound it could sometimes leave fans with a change of heart.
Coldplay never invokes that feeling.
Prior to the release of A Head Full Of Dreams, the band premiere "Hymn For The Weekend," featuring Beyonce on BBC Radio1's Annie Mac show. Coldplay's Guy Berryman explained that Martin wanted to do a bit of a party song but they realized he couldn't get away with saying "drinks on me, drinks on me." So, they went back to the drawing board and "drinks on me" turned into "drink for me." It turned into a tune of being drunk and high on love.
Beyonce's subtle tones and intro bring a little extra to the song and adds an extra layer to the arrangement.
"Hymn For The Weekend," isn't the only track with a feature on A Head Full Of Dreams. Coldplay's "Fun" featuring Tove Lo may not be quite as upbeat as "Hymn For The Weekend", however, it adds a little brightness to the end of a relationship.
It looks upon the good times and ends with hope that the future will bring on another attempt to have "Fun" all over again.
One of the highlights of the album comes in the form of "Kaleidoscope". It's a piano driven interlude that contains a powerful excerpt from the Charleston, South Carolina Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church funeral service for Rev.
Clementa Pinckney. The band added President Obama's vocals as he sang "Amazing Grace," which was truly a standout moment during the precession.
There is a seamless transition into "Army of One," a simply beautiful and well done two-part track. It starts out as a declaration of one persons love for another in a simple and sweet form. Then, out of nowhere, there is an incredible hip-hop twist. It's where you find yourself lost in love and moving with the vibe.
Martin's voice can literally match any style of music and it isn't the first time he has ventured into the hip-hop world. Martin has a close relationship with rapper Jay-Z who he accompanied on "Beach Chair." Jay-Z also added a verse on the remix of Coldplay's "Lost." So it's easy to see where the influence comes from.
"Army of One" is certainly another one of the big standouts and in the best ways possible.
Things begin to subside with "Amazing Day" where the band chooses to bring the listener back into the bright and flowery lyrics of one of the best dreams you could ever have. It calls for a world full or light, poetry, birds, love and peace. It's a day that everyone is hoping for in times of turmoil.
Coldplay adds another interlude with "Color Spectrum," before delivering the final piece titled, "Up&Up." For what it's worth the title represents the way you'll feel after listening to the entire album. Martin sings, "we're going to get it together somehow," showing that he has hope for a brighter future for the world we live in and reminds us to never give up no matter the situation.
It's the perfect end to A Head Full Of Dreams which proves once again that Coldplay will remain one of the timeless bands and class acts in music.
The band will be celebrating the release of A Head Full Of Dreams with a a live stream event via their official Facebook account.
Just 40 minutes until our live stream celebrating the release of A Head Full Of Dreams. Join us over at https://t.co/OpIaG4EjjL A #AHFOD
-- Coldplay (@coldplay) December 4, 2015