Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Artist: Coldplay
Album: Mylo Xyloto
Date Released: 10/27/2011
Genre: Alternative Rock, Britpop, Pop

After the mainstream success of Viva La Vida worldwide, the British group set out to write their fifth and most ambitious album ever - a concept album focusing on a love story that ends happily. Mylo Xyloto definitely touts the peak of production magic, with synths and bass lines lacing Chris Martin's iconic voice, lifting anthemic choruses heard in songs like "Paradise" and "Don't Let it Break Your Heart". With the amount of pressure thrust upon the group, the album they create seems to walk on eggshells at points, even moreso than Viva La Vida. And yet, within the confines of lofty alternative rock, Mylo Xyloto sets itself apart with an optimism matched by few others. Some of the atmospheric samples take the listener to some ethereal world, similar to the effect the fictitious world Pandora had on viewers of the new Avatar film. The track "Princess of China", featuring Rihanna, is a bone-chilling duet that elevates the feeling of lovers caught in a timeless dance. Overall, despite the obvious copying from Pete Green and from the Ritmo de la Noche melody on "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall", Mylo Xyloto is a brilliant, fresh scape, solidifying Coldplay's place as one of the best alternative rock artists of the decade.

9/10