1. mohamedfayyad

   10

   i know that many people are disappointed but this is why coldplay is agreat band as the fans don't accept any other thing but perfection. though the album is great maybe the songwriting isn't so good but the music is very amazing and unique… Collapse

   • Helpful? 6 of 7 users said Yes.
2. RSter

   8

   Forget about critics. Most have hated Coldplay since the start. Yes, for the most the lyrics are crap. But who cares? This is pop music! Coldplay are influenced by many different music styles, i.e. rock, urban, and folk, and all are featured here in a tasteful way. From start to finish, the flow of the songs, and the segues are quite irresistible. The duet with Rihanna is the absolute highlight. It shows they are willing to stretch and try different things. Just like they did with "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall". There are no weak moments here. It's an uplifting affair and it shows how versatile and 2011 the band is.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 3 users said Yes.
3. bernlin2000

   5

   Longtime Coldplay fan here (first 3 albums are some of my all-time favorite, Viva...meh...the title song is great, and Violet Hill is fantastic). The singles have been pretty awful for this album so far ("Every Tear" "Paradise" and "Princess of China" all have a few interesting bits, but get bogged down pretty early on) and the rest of the album isn't look so good, from my somewhat cursory listen. "Hurts Like Heaven" (after a nice titular intro) is a strong start, with a bright electronic open that later blossoms into some very beautiful guitar parts. "Charlie Brown" suffers from a typical problem on the album: songs have some good promise, but I lose interest before it's over. "Us Against the World" feels like complete filler...I know I've heard this song on their other albums before, probably on more than one. "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" is the first single, and it's hard to resist, but, again, there's not a lot here to hold my interest, although I really did enjoy the music video. Perhaps it's just too bright for me? Seems somewhat boring though, too, and the lyrics don't really seem very important or interesting. Chris Martin has written much better than this. "Major Minus" is an interesting track, and sounds a bit out of place on this album, which is probably why I enjoyed it more than the average track here. Have to listen a bit more to find out if it's actually any good, though. "UFO" passes by quickly and easily, but it's forgettable. I initially liked "Princess of China" but the more I listen to it, the less I like it. The opening is really cool, and I enjoy all the electronic noise along with the warbling guitars, but Rihanna is not useful here (and doesn't mesh well with Martin at all) and the song itself caves in when the two sing together: the only thing compelling here is some of the individual sounds. "Up in Flames" is a very sweet and precious song, but terribly repetitive and far too sentimental for my tastes. Last two tracks I haven't listened to enough to form an opinion. They sound more conventional Coldplay compared to the singles, which could be a good thing, but I'm not hearing anything jump at me, probably for the same reason. In short, I'm pretty disappointed, but not too surprised. I wasn't very happy with the direction "Viva" was going, towards more a experimental, less guitar-driven sound. I'm a huge fan of Radiohead's "Kid A", but I, correctly imo, predicted Coldplay wouldn't be able to pull off such a big change in sound like Radiohead did. By the looks of the critic's reviews, I'm not alone. I hope Coldplay continues to experiment with their sound, but on another path.… Expand

   • Helpful? 5 of 6 users said Yes.
4. Jai11elas

   4

   Disappointing...specially Princess Of China... what do they prove out here?.....that with any kind they will remain in mainstream..no..one more album like Mylo Xyloto and they will be forgotten.....Good songs- Us Against The World and Up With The Birds and Charlie Brown… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.

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