AS strong an album as 2015’s A Head Full of Dreams is, it did give me cause to worry that Coldplay were beginning to stray too far away from sounding like a band. Whilst still producing unique material, the increased amount of electronic production was starting to detract from the true musical chemistry between the band members, and with the over-compression of bass frequencies and the use of auto-tune in certain places, it could even be argued that they were starting to sound too commercial.
‘All I Can Think About is You’, the opening track on their new Kaleidoscope EP, serves to dispel some of my fears. More band-orientated than most of what you will hear on A Head Full of Dreams, it features two distinct sections. Opening with a relatively sparse arrangement consisting of piano, guitar, vocals, drums and bass, all of which are loaded with copious amounts of reverb, it then morphs into an epic, euphoric rock song reminiscent of ‘Death and All His Friends’. The feel good factor in songs like this is the kind of thing Coldplay are so adept at creating. The only problem with the song is the rather abrupt ending. It’s as if they hadn’t quite worked out how to finish it. A song of such epic proportions perhaps warrants a slightly more climactic ending. But it is such a good song – I think I’ll let them off on this occasion.
‘Miracles (Someone Special)’ is a whole other kettle of fish. It opens with a synth pad sound which abruptly cuts in and out. I wondered for a moment whether there was something wrong with my CD, but as the other instrumentation comes in the effect is disguised. This is another strong song which references the late Mohammad Ali. Musically it has a subtle, almost 70s disco feel with a guitar part that wouldn’t sound unfamiliar in style to fans of Nile Rodgers. It’s all going well until about 2:30 when a chap who calls himself Big Sean starts talking over it.
The next track, ‘A L I E N S’, is another of the more electronic variety which references the ongoing refugee crisis. It sees the return of producer Brian Eno, who worked so successfully with the band on their seminal albums Viva la Vida and Mylo Xyloto. None of the magic of the collaboration between Eno and the band has been lost here.
‘Something Just Like This’, a collaboration with The Chainsmokers, will already be familiar to many. The version of the song included on this EP, however, is a mixture of elements from the studio version, and a live version recorded in Tokyo. Live performances of ‘Something Just Like This’ have proved somewhat superior to the studio version, largely because of the use of real drums, which give the song far more ‘weight’ than the sequenced drums on the original. The recording has been mixed in such a way that the audience, all singing along with Chris Martin, almost become an extension of the arrangement. The only unfortunate element of this track is the use of the dreaded auto-tune on Martin’s voice.
The closing track is something rather special. ‘Hypnotised’ was made available as a single track download some time prior to the release of this EP, and I remain captivated by it. It is an extraordinary song. Every element of it comes together beautifully. Coldplay are not generally known for lyrical depth, but the words here are well thought out, and Chris Martin delivers them to perfection. It is quite possibly the finest recording Coldplay have ever made. There is a certain melancholy about it, and yet it is conversely uplifting.
Coldplay have said that A Head Full of Dreams might be their final album. And that would be a shame, because this EP, truly a ‘Kaleidoscope’ of sound, shows just how much creative juice they have in the tank. And if they can record such sublime songs as ‘Hypnotised’, then I very much hope there is much more to come from the last great world-conquering rock band.
Mike's Musical Musings 