By Katherine Hatcher | Staff Writer
Three, two, one… blastoff! Coldplay’s new album, ‘Moon Music,’ is out of this world with a unique and fresh sound that still incorporates nostalgic elements of the band’s style.
The album came out on Oct. 4 and has 10 new songs which create an otherworldly experience for listeners through the band’s use of various sounds and instruments. For example, adding to the space theme of the album, the song titled with a rainbow emoji transports listeners through technological sounds that include sonar beeps, chimes and more.
Along with new sound effects, a range of instruments such as drums, piano and strings add to the diversity and freshness of the album.
“GOOD FEELINGS” is a catchy banger brought to life, all due to its wonderful beat from the drums. In contrast with the drum’s fast beat, the song “MOON MUSIC” has a long, beautiful string section that leads into piano before the vocals come in.
Although the use of the instruments adds more than one kind of vibe to the album, the band’s nostalgic style is still present. Coldplay is known best for songs like “Yellow,” “A Sky Full of Stars” and “Viva La Vida.” These songs are so memorable because Coldplay adds as much life to the music as they do the lyrics.
Incorporating nostalgia from the album, the song “AETERNA” has a beat that is so satisfying to listen to that it could remind listeners of Coldplay’s “Clocks.” In “Clocks,” the music can stand alone without the words. The same can be said for “AETERNA” because the music builds with the words and individually reminds listeners of some of Coldplay’s most famous songs.
The band’s new album does well in embracing the fresh and old tactics, but even this album has flaws. Some might argue that this album’s problem is its shallow and repetitive lyrics. In the song, “ONE WORLD,” for example, the song starts with lyrics that repeat over and over, “One world/Only one world.” After the solo instrumental part, another set of lyrics repeat, “In the end it’s just love.” The only other words sung in this song are “la, la, la” over and over, a series which is also featured in “feelslikeimfallinginlove” and “ALL MY LOVE.”
On the other hand, while it seems like repetitive components of this album are sometimes there to take up space, people can’t forget that Coldplay have always been able to say a lot through saying a little. They do this with their unique music and sounds, and sometimes repetitive phrases help better communicate their message. For instance, almost three minutes of “MOON MUSIC” is instrumental, yet it sounds like a movie soundtrack conveying emotion through its buildup.
Vocalist and pianist Chris Martin explained the message of the album in a video he posted on Instagram on Sept. 4.
“I think what Moon Music is trying to say is maybe love is the best response, even when that feels difficult to do — which I definitely find it hard to do a lot of the time,” Martin said. “In a way, it’s a reaction to feeling so powerless in the face of so many crazy things happening internally and externally.”
The band definitely achieves this through the entire album but specifically in the song, “iAAM.” Lyrics in the song depict the theme of the album, saying, “Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain/My love for you will remain/’Cause I am a mountain.”
Whether the emphasis is shifted on the music or the lyrics, “Moon Music” creates a fun and refreshing experience for new and long-time Coldplay listeners alike.
