Day 388: Coldplay - Everyday Life (2019)
What are the characteristics of great art? In my opinion great art provokes feelings, it pinches ones conscience and it makes you think. It may be soul-soothing or provoking and unsettling. It can be because its beauty only, but it can be because of its topic as well. And the best art manages to combine both. And some people prefer art and music to be happy, beautiful, uncomplicated and soothing, so they can get carried away from problems of the real world. Music and art do have that power. That’s nice and relaxing and sometimes very useful. I do see the value of that. But I always had a thing for artists who not only make great art of its own great value, be it music, literature or visual art, but who simultaneously point to ethical questions and issues. Simply put, I do like artists who grab my attention and point it towards the faults, failures and wrongdoings of us all as a society. I have a soft spot for conscience-jerking music. And we are not a majority, but I am definitely not the only one.
While loads of artists support and perform for charitable causes, there are really only few who take these topics and incorporate them directly and permanently into the fabric of who they are and make it a part of their core identity. I know of several others less famous ones (Nick Mulvey, Moddy just to name a few), but among the really big globally successful names, there are really only two: U2 and Coldplay.
Coldplay is a band I have a long long love-hate relationship with. 19 years ago, when they released their 2nd album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), it felt like a gust of fresh air in a slightly stuffy and stale pop music scene. It was a mix of an alternative indie rock with a sprinkle of pop added for better accessibility. And similar to U2 they were not afraid to speak about uncomfortable topics: politics, global trade, environmental and humanitarian issues. They mixed great music with ethics and conscience in an authentic and a very cool way. That record was raw, wholesome and beautiful and yet with a palpable sense of urgency. They built on the sound of their first album, which was marked by moody vocals, bright guitar instrumentals littered with pop hooks and added heavier piano lines, more electric guitars and some darker lyrics. And I loved it. It’s still one of my top 5 albums ever.
And then, after 2 critically acclaimed albums and a 3rd one which was criticized for lack of evolution sound and style-wise and being too predicable, they decided a bit more commercial success wouldn’t hurt and traded being personal for commercial viability. They moved towards bigger electronic sound. Viva La Vida (2008) sounded distinctively happier, warmer, colourful and more orchestral then their previous albums and at the same time it contained many of the stylistic features from their previous albums. After that they lost me completely. I love their first 2 albums, Parachutes (2000) and A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002). X&Y (2005) and Viva La Vida (2008) were OK. I missed the depth of the topics and sounds from their earlier production, but it was OK. On Mylo Xyloto (2011) they lost me completely. Their records were catchy, but just a generic electronic and shallow pop with vague silly lyrics. There was nothing for me on it. Same goes for their 2015 record A Head Full of Dreams . In between these two records they’ve put out Ghost Stories (2014), which were still pop-ish, but more ambient and softer. More quiet, reflective and minimalist. With some exceptions. It felt like they found way to get back to their roots. To be honest, since about 2003 Coldplay seems to be in a permanent identity crisis.
Yet, in 2019 they released Everyday Life. A fairly experimental double album. And after nearly 2 decades it’s finally something I can enjoy again. It’s an eclectic collection of styles (alternative rock, world music, gospel), but it somehow works. And there’s not a single EDM song on it (sigh of relief). It’s stripped-back set of songs about the current state of the world which showcases their versatility. The fact that they decided not to tour the album even before they recorded it probably gave them freedom to create a stripped-back set of songs about the current state of the world showcasing their versatility without having to worry too much about the sales and the commercial side of it. As Charlotte Krol described it, the album veers frequently between the topical and timeless highs and lows of love, war, racism, faith, gun control, friendship, climate change and police brutality. It’s an unflinching contemplation on the state of the world.(1) Opener Sunrise sets the tone beautifully with a major/minor string arrangement that could be from a war film soundtrack – not the work of one of the planet’s biggest bands. The lead violin plays an at once mournful and hopeful timbre: a perfect representation of Martin’s note on the duality of good and bad. (1) Church is an ambient, moving, transcendental pop track. And one hand it’s clearly about love and the acceptance, peace and comfort as well as passion that only a love can give. And as the same time the swells of strings, cascading guitar arpeggios and the beautiful part sung in Arabic by Norah Shaqur turns the song onto a wonderful all-encompassing all-accepting space where everyone is welcome. The song is about worship. And in this case it’s worshiping his lover, rather then a particular God of any specific religious tradition, but the song does have the qualities of a spiritual sanctuary. Arabesque is another highlight. It’s one of Coldplay’s most atypical songs, with Nigerian brass arrangements blasting over a hulking, psychedelic prog-rock backbone. Three generations of the Kuti family appear on the record – so does Palestinian oud group Le Trio Joubran and Belgian superstar singer Stromae – which makes for a fittingly globetrotting record that espouses unity in the human race (“we share the same blood”). (1)
The closing title track, Everyday Life, is another of the wonderful one-world ballads. And it’s a really good one. Its blooming strings and repeated chants of “Hallelujah”, sets you up for a ‘Fix You’-style cry fest but slightly short-circuits the whole thing. Still, it’s an interesting decision for a band that trades in build-and-release euphoric pop – and maybe that’s the point. (1)
For environmental and other reasons Coldplay decided not to tour the album. Instead they recorded a live concert from Jordan, from the old Citadel in Amman. First part was shot at sunrise and the second one at sunset. And the backdrop of the rooftops of the old Amman city is simply stunning. The choice of the location being right next to war to Syria and in the country that took in so many of refugees of that civil war is of course intentional and well thought of. Unsurprisingly. I do recommend watching the whole live performance:
Happy Saturday, relax and enjoy.
Album highlights: - Sunrise - Church - Arabesque - Everyday Life
Links and references: - Coldplay - Wikipedia - Everyday Life (album) - Wikipedia - (1) C. Krol (22 November 2019), Coldplay – ‘Everyday Life’ review: a confounding experiment from a deceptively forward-thinking band. NME.


















