Well, spot a star and wish.

Awhh so pretty

Environmental skin!

I might cri ;-;

sCREAMS

cOlDpLaY iS mY fAvOrItE bAND

agh

ilysm now

woah

One of my favorite songs becomes one of my favorite skins

Too realistic i think i want to sleep just now because of that :333

Hi everyone. Chipsthony Diptano here, PMC's busiest retired mod.

Ghost Stories takes a much different approach from their prior, very gritty and sugary LP, Mylo Xyloto, but fans have reflected its serenity and quiet yet emotional tracks to their debut album Parachutes. For a little background information, the change from alternative rock to based pop music can be pointed back to their highly successful 2008 studio release, Viva La Vida or Death and All Of His Friends, argued to be their most creative and unique album, using orchestral elements as a foundation for many of their songs.

However, for nearly a decade both Coldplay fans and Critics have not been in total agreement, and it's understandably so. Ever since 1998, their influences have been anything but discreet, being criticized for backpedaling on the success of much more innovative musicians such as Radiohead and U2. Fortunately they are clearly on much more of a unique path, leading us to the release of Ghost Stories.

Off the bat, it should be known Ghost Stories is a record about heartbreak, moving forward, and reflecting on past relationships. That would make sense considering this was the first record Chris Martin released being divorced to former spouse and actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Right off the bat, it's pretty clear where the direction of the album is going with with these harmonic choir sound effects kicking the track off, then leading to the very soft, angelic waltz Always in My Head.

Immediately after the opening track is the albums other single, Magic, in which Chris expresses his belief in the magic of love in spite of heartbreak. It's a very minimal and again, gentle, track, featuring a quiet and calm bass until the bright and colorful breakdown where Chris shows off his high ranged falsetto.

Unfortunately, track 3 is where the LP begins to derail with down right cheesy lyrics and surfaced instrumentals. There is not much to say about Ink because there is not much that it offers other than something about tattoos. I don't bother remembering the track because it truly is not pleasant. True Love has much more decent lyrics, but the instrumentals feel too draggy, as well as having these soft and heavenly instrumentals being wrongfully combined with an extremely heavy drum machine sound. The same situation occurs with track Anothers Arms, where the lyrics are just as stale but also relies on a female opera melody for the hook, similar to the very beginning. This was not a good idea though, because it results in a very boring hook.

Midnight is without a doubt the most unique and atmospheric song on Ghost Stories, but Coldplay approaches the track the way most would approach an interlude. The song itself, however is far more enjoyable than many other songs on this LP, and I appreciate the build up to the very end without relying on percussion.

Then there is Ocean, which is one of Coldplay's more raw and acoustic tracks from the past few records. I find the record to be nothing more than Coldplay nodding to the fans over fact that they made Parachutes that one time, and it becomes kind of obvious the song really serves as nothing more than a transition to the track proceeding this one, Sky Full of Stars.

Sky Full of Stars is without a doubt one of Coldplay's most controversial tracks among both critics and fans. Being Coldplay's attempt at an EDM track, it becomes very clear after listening to the album in full length that it entirely revolves around making this track stand out. With the help of Avicii, this song serves as Chris's public statement of accepting that this is goodbye for his marriage without being so gosh darn sad. However, where this record does fall is in the department of depth, as it sounds much more like Avicii featuring Coldplay than Coldplay featuring Avicii.

Then, the album concludes with the much more quiet but not necessarily angelic O/Fly On, which is the Albums only piano ballad, in which Chris goes from acceptance to moving forward. I could understand this being a fan favorite, but for me, the best track on this LP isn't even on this LP.

Ghost Story, a bonus track from Target, is the only song I'd truly listen to more than twice. First, it is one of Coldplay's most psychedelic tracks ever. Second, it manages to be raw without just showing off that they can still make raw music. Third, the track's lyrics flow perfectly with the song, and possessed by far the most genuine and personal lyrics out of any track on the LP. For listeners is the true hidden gem of this Coldplay era, but also raised the bar for Coldplay's current potential, which they did not meet even closely with any other track on the record.

Overall, Ghost Stories is very angelic and soft, and but that unfortunately is not enough for me. Very basic, middle of the road, and I'd hate to be cruel but it all just leads back to the problem of being boring and stagnant. I'm feeling a heavy 3 to light 4 on this record.

holy crab apples this is beautiful !