GutterPutter

Coldplay used to rule the world – then they aim for the stars. The British band from London, fronted by vocalist and occasional pianist Chris Martin, are among the biggest names on the scene ever since their 2000 debut Parachutes. 100 million albums record are sold at the time of writing, singles like ‘Viva la Vida’ or ‘The Scientist’ are among the most beloved in pop rock history, and innovative touring organisation ensures that the four-piece act will be remembered fondly. Unfortunately, bemoaning comparisons made to Martin’s idols in U2 and Radiohead meant that whatever direction they will take their music is going to bewilder many fans. I can say with confidence that I prefer their pre-2010s output. 

While many of their initial contemporaries in the 2000s hit a roadblock that prevents their success from continuing, Coldplay marches on. After a mixed bag in Music of the Spheres from 2021, the band aren’t all that deterred by the lack of consistent respect they have once earned back in A Rush of Blood to the Head or even Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. From Martin’s perspective, Music of the Spheres is supposed to be the first of the series of projects he wanted to embark on that revolves around the same theme. Think, for example, about the intergalactic and the ways it intertwines with human life and experiences. In practice, so much of it could have been better admittedly, yet the four always appear to be the ones that wear their hearts on their sleeve. Especially with Martin who would often get into philanthropy or activism to spread awareness on problems like climate change.

This leads to Moon Music, the second chapter of the series which was first hinted at in the booklet of Music of the Spheres. In an NME interview, Martin envisions the album as being all about positivity and the intent of finding it even in the darkest of places. Admirable as it is, it is susceptible to being “corny”. Too in-your-face with its preaching of love and not much creativity in exploring the various avenues on our pessimisms and the importance of optimism. This manifests in ‘feelslikeimfallinginlove’, ‘GOOD FEELiNGS’, and ‘AETERNA’ which, with synths and drum machine patterns that are reminiscent of dance pop and house music, relies on harmonic choruses, funky bassline, and autotune to maximise its impact. On the surface layer, at least there’s a certain rhythm that makes the three songs hard to resist. 

Yet, they are so insistent on the importance of positivity in their lyrics that it feels shallow. It feels a bit disappointing especially given that Martins has shown a knack at writing compelling images and stream-of-conscious structures to take the listeners on an emotive ride. Journeys that allow ‘Don’t Panic’, ‘Clocks’, and ‘Violet Hill’ to endure lasting popularity as mainstays to name a few. Think the pseudo-romantic talk about “[falling] in love in the summer]” or the dull mundanity of “[throwing] the windows wide” for light in ‘feelslikeimfallinginlove’. Compare that to the adamant decision to stand with your passions in Porter Robinson’s ‘Musician’, the aspiration for settling down in ‘I think it about it all the time’ by Charli XCX, and the adorable ode to long-distance friendship in Black Country, New Road’s ‘Across the Pond Friend’. The problem only accentuates further as Coldplay diversify into otherwise unremarkable directions like the piano ballad in ‘ALL MY LOVE’, the arena-centric call of ‘iAAM’, or the folksy ‘JUPiTER’, They’re a pop rock band, sure, but there is little that substantiates the attempt made at even making wholesome worthwhile, let alone showing the various kinds of love.

That the representation of love feels hollow when the thesis of the album depends on the need for hope can be a let-down especially given the following repertoire. ‘WE PRAY’ makes up for the meandersome preaching by its alt-pop foray into reggae and drill with Damini “Burna Boy” Ogulu and Elian “Elyanna” Marjieh. Interestingly, there are two versions of the song with the second verse rapped by either Little Simz or Martina “TINI” Stoessel – the latter being frankly better for the melody and for being done in Spanish. It would be a fun little fact had it not been for the fact that the Little Simz version is the selected take throughout the album. Knowing Coldplay’s love for activism and world peace, to go for a more recognisable British star over the Argentine music artist does undermine the theme especially with how lacklustre the other verse feels.

‘Neon Forest ANGEL SONG’ sounds blisteringly beautiful as a twinkly piece of ambient pop song and the falsetto adds to the tranquillity of the whole track. It’s the best song in the whole album due to how the slow beat enables the sanguinity to stick out a lot more. The title track, while it does still follow the pseudo-hippie aesthetic that is done to death throughout, does include a liberating, gentle crescendo that calls for friendship with its chamber orchestration. as does the outro ‘One World’. Coldplay loves to try and not stay in their lane for too long, but the minimalistic use of instruments and electronic notes suit the band like a glove! In a nice instance of ‘show, don’t tell’, the two songs feel graceful in a way that encapsulates inner peace. It works much better without the reminder of the lyrics; just let the singing do the talking even if it’s brief.

Moon Music isn’t as bad as other contemporaries who saw big success worldwide like Katy Perry. At the same time, the album isn’t as great or even as decent as other rock records even with the added lenience that it’s made for mass-consumption. It professes love as the be-all end-all of solutions and you don’t need to ask for any more than that. Yet, rather than skirt around with ideas of how that is represented, the album hammers down the idea over and over again. There’s not an ounce of nuance even to add to its potential longevity. Instead, Moon Music is solely about love. And that’s the biggest barrier to Coldplay’s potential in the record. Never mind its global reach, stingy listeners like myself might feel let down by its neutered state, its glimpses of promise continuing to elude the band’s artistic heights back in the 2000s.

1.8/5