Coldplay/ Moon Music

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Coldplay/ Moon Music 

Genre: Confused

Label: Parlophone

Rating: **

Six listens into Coldplay's much-awaited new album Moon Music, and one is still confused about the direction it wants to take. It's been described in the promos as pop-rock, but one needs to excavate deeply to find traces of rock. What we get is an oddball mix of bubblegum pop, vocalising and ambient textures with a dash of disco, hip-hop and Afro-chant.

But wait, it's fashionable to like whatever Coldplay does, even if it means being hopeful after being No 999,999 in queue for their proposed shows in Mumbai, with zero knowledge about the band and Rs 12k or multiples ready to dish out. Critics may say whatever they want, but vocalist-pianist Chris Martin is one of the most sought after and dishy stars in the world, and the Coldplay live shows always promise a memorable experience, going by those who have attended them.

The conundrum lies with their studio albums. After their 2000 debut Parachutes, containing the smash hit 'Yellow', and the brilliant follow-up A Rush Of Blood To The Head, which had 'Clocks' and 'The Scientist', most albums have been grossly inconsistent, often regurgitating older sounds. Yet, they've had the sales, and  a fair share of hit songs over the years, and stadium crowds have chanted along to 'Fix You', 'Speed Of Sound', 'Viva La Vda' and 'Hymn For The Weekend'.

In the case of Moon Music, the 10th Coldplay record, moments of brilliance are offset by random hammering around. There's a wonderful piano solo by Martin at the start, as the title track kicks off the album. The words go, "Maybe I'm just crazy, I should just be a brick in the wall, sit and watch TV, blame everyone else for it all". Multi-instrumentalist Jon Hopkins appears as a guest.

It's a heady beginning, but thereafter, it's a see-saw ride. The next track 'Feelslikeimfallinginlove' has a predictable tune, forced vocalising and done-to-death lines like "Feels like I'm falling in love, maybe for the first time, baby it's my mind you blow". On 'We Pray', Coldplay invites guests Burna Boy, Little Simz, Elyanna and Tini, in a hip-hop meets dancehall bundle of confusion.

Of the remaining seven tracks, only two rise above the ordinary, despite some lush arrangements. 'iAAM' talks of hope through the lines, "Stood on a sea of pain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, I'll be back on my feet again, 'cause I am a mountain". Then, there's the trademark piano-driven cellphone-torchlight ballad 'All My Love', where Martin sings, "You got all my love whether it rains or pours, you got all my love whether it rains, it remains". Despite its hackneyed lyrics, it's got a good melody line and is targeted at the sentimental, lovelorn and wide-eyed fans. Maybe that's the next stadium hit, in an album that's largely good for a dazed sleepwalk, culminating in that disastrous seven-minute closing song 'One World', with Chris whining, "In the end it's just love".

The main issue here is that Coldplay tries to do too many things in a 10-song, 44-minute package. Every song has a laundry list of writers, and the multiple producers include Max Martin and Bill Rahko. The other band members - guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion - play as per the songs but don't get much individual limelight. By the way, those planning to attend the Coldplay shows better remember those names. Who knows, you may win a contest entitling you to a free ticket unofficially going for Rs 20 lakh, besides an exclusive loo with diamond-studded chandeliers.