Coldplay - Ghost Stories

Picture this: Chris Martin - tired of the glowsticked ‘Mylo Xyloto’ rave-cruise - decides to go on some soul-searching. Yes, a recent break-up probably does come into the context, but ‘Ghost Stories’ isn’t some anti-vegan, Paltrow-baiting diatribe. It almost definitely sounds more like a solo record than any other Coldplay album, but stick with it - this is Martin at his most tender, heartfelt and tangibly ready to sell his thoughts.

From the odd, subdued ‘Midnight’ to the all-nighter Avicii-produced banger ‘A Sky Full Of Stars’, ‘Ghost Stories’ has its extreme variations, but each song is tied together by Coldplay’s frontman. He rarely breaks into falsetto and he doesn’t bother with the call to arms approach that might define previous records. Instead, he gives his most up-close and personal performance to date. Context might have an impact, but it could just be a brilliant coincidence.

‘Oceans’ takes things right back to ‘Parachutes’, going where the rest of the album doesn’t quite dare to in miserable, melancholy-strewn excellence. This is as sombre and genuine as Coldplay get. Gone is the triumph of the previous LP, but they’ve also ridded themselves of the strange revolutionary pretence of ‘Viva La Vida’. Not only is ‘Ghost Stories’ unafraid to embrace its ordinary side - it’s also capable of diving into the very depths of its character.

It’s a shame that ‘A Sky Full Of Stars’ feels like such a false moment in an otherwise pure record. Even the Timbaland-struck ‘True Love’ fits in like a dream. The misstep has nothing to do with Avicii - it just feels a bit like someone handing you a packet of smarties when you’ve spent four days straight sobbing into a bedsheet. Still, ‘Ghost Stories’ is the sound of Coldplay finally coming to terms with who they are - a universally loved, often loathed, slightly cheesy outfit. Charmingly cheesy, though.