“Ghost Stories”
Coldplay
Parlophone Records
4.5 paws
It’s obvious that actress Gwyneth Paltrow broke Coldplay frontman Chris Martin’s heart after the two announced their divorce in March, because “Ghost Stories,” the British quartet’s sixth studio album, is a more sophisticated version of the type of angst and misery found in a preteen boy’s diary. Not that all of that emotion is a bad thing, however.
“Ghost Stories” is worlds away from 2011’s “Mylo Xyloto,” an overly triumphant proclamation of Coldplay’s status as the world’s biggest alternative rock band, but it is still worthy of the Coldplay trademark that turns the combination of simple chord progressions and Martin’s lilting voice into global hits.
From the opening track, Martin takes no measures to hide his untempered sorrow and anguish. On “Always In My Head,” an angelic chorus introduces Martin’s dejected voice over guitar riffs that ripple through a steady beat. It’s hard not to keep Martin’s failed marriage in mind as he croons and sighs through lyrics that seem taken straight from actual ghost stories: “I think of you/ I haven’t slept/ I think I do/ But I don’t forget.”
The album continues onto the second track and lead single, “Magic,” possibly one of Coldplay’s most modest singles yet when compared to hits such as “Paradise” and “Viva la Vida.” Although the instrumentation is sparse, Martin’s vocals contain a soft, contemplative tenderness that’s enhanced by the soaring falsettos and shimmering guitar plucks.
“Ghost Stories” contains many memorable tracks: Some highlights include “Ink,” a pop-infused, percussion-laden ballad that still cries of love’s anguish (“Got a tattoo and the pain’s all right/ Just want a way of keeping you inside”), and “True Love,” a spunky Timbaland collaboration. “A Sky Full of Stars,” an Avicii-produced track, skillfully unites Coldplay from the “Mylo Xyloto” era with the signature bass drops of the Swedish producer’s brand of electronic dance music.
On “Oceans,” the acoustic ballad ends up sounding like a beeping remix of the “Finding Nemo” theme. Even when the album encounters some missteps, Martin and the band rescue “Ghost Stories” by virtue of the minimalist sound that’s a breath of fresh air.
For all the sparse yet lush instrumentation, however, it’s clear that the “Ghost Stories” Coldplay is a radically different entity from the “Mylo Xyloto” Coldplay. Gone are the days of shallow lyricism and massive, anthemic choruses that lifted lighters on high: Martin’s recent divorce with Paltrow seems to have inspired a raw, personal style resulting in lyrics that cut to the core.
On “Another’s Arms,” it’s painful to listen to Martin plaintively sing, in a tone as sad as it is quiet: “Late night watching TV/ Used to be you here beside me/ Used to be your arms around me/ Your body on my body.” This is perhaps the most jarringly personal lyric that Martin throws out of the blue to the listener, but every other song has a couple of lines that are similarly tragic, as if Coldplay’s frontman can’t help but share his woes, too big to be bottled in, with the rest of the world.
In this sense, Coldplay’s instrumental downsizing is understandable: The meaningful lyrics take center stage while the instrumentation fills the background, beautifully adding emotion to the stories about a heartbreak that is all too real.
After about 35 minutes of politely wallowing in a pool of misery, Martin reels the listener back in with the final track, a beautiful piano ballad titled “O” that sparks a fire of faith: “Fly on, ride through/ Maybe one day I’ll fly next to you.” There’s even a secret track in the last minute of “O” that brings the angelic choir back from the first track, framing the album with the idea that maybe, just maybe, things will get better for Martin and his fans all over the world. After all, what’s a Coldplay album without hope and eventual joy?
Overall, “Ghost Stories” is a culmination of almost two decades of love and labor, of tweaking a signature sound amid heartbreak and angst. Even though the Coldplay of “Ghost Stories” is a direct opposite of the Coldplay of previous albums, the band’s new sound still works beautifully – maybe it’s good to play in the darkness once in a while.
– Shreya Aiyar