Aside from tweets saying it will get an eventual release, and that folk have heard it, any indications that The Race is going to be part of this new album cycle?

Although they wish to release it some time, I wouldn't be surprised if it hasn't even been considered for the new album.

Fucking hell, dying for a bit of Coldplay these days for the sake of sanity.

Damn for a band who's really disliked these days, Coldplay have a damn strong following even this thread is going pretty strong a year or so after their last album, which was good listening but rarely listen too these days. I said before not a real fan of anything they really did after Viva La Vida, Chris Martin and co really have done amazing to keep themselves at that top tier table of biggest bands around. You got to give respect to that even Oasis didn't really keep that level of their early year's success everywhere, but Coldplay have.

C - Charlie Brown (9/17)

First and foremost: there is something to be said about Coldplay's first three albums, they still had that indie rock appeal to them, that kinetic force, they sounded like a rock band, then all of sudden they lost it.

Later they released Viva La Vida which was great and pointed a cool direction they could have follow, but no, instead they entered their "Maroon 5 phase" as I like to call, they became too poppy for my tastes, they were more worried about their popularity than their music.


I wanted to hear Everyday Life, but before there was still one album left which I haven't heard yet, Ghost Stories. Subpar album but with some cool moments like Midnight, it's not the saccharine party like both MX and AHFOD, which is great thing, but the album suffers from sameness and it's a bit boring for that.


Hell, why left this song out of the album? It badly needed something like this.

Not many songs from AHFOD still resonate with me and pop into my head, but A Head Full of Dreams and Birds are good listens from that album. Adventure of a Lifetime is good too, but the outro always pisses me off for how Jonny's wonderful solo is buried by those pointless vocals. AHFOD and Birds feel just right, though, and are the only two songs on that album where the production and arrangements work perfectly for the song.

I honestly think it's one of the best songs ever written
Chris really had it going with those first two records

The Scientist
Shiver
Politik
White Shadows
Til Kingdom Come

Orphans, eh? I listened to that song on a walk yesterday and it is a lovely thing. Like a mix of Lovers in Japan with A Head Full of Dreams, but in the best way possible. Here's my top five of the moment:

1. Violet Hill
2. Reign of Love
3. Lovers in Japan
4. The Scientist
5. A Sky Full of Stars 

Viva la Vida
Yellow
Fix you
Speed of Sound
In my place

For it's euphoric feel, it's a really sad song when reading the lyrics and realising what its about. It's lyrically one of their best. I could go on and on about it, maybe in another post, but as with the best political songs, it steers away from political grandstanding and sloganeering about bastard politicians and gets to the heart of the matter - namely human beings and the empathy towards them and their situation. That's the best form of protest in my opinion and it really hits hard when a songwriter writes from an individuals perspective of suffering and not about the politicians. Case in point is Travis did a song back in 2003 called Beautiful Occupation slating the world leaders supporting the Iraq War. A fine song, but not as overtly emotional and personal as a song like Orphans.

That sadness and empathy gives the fuel for activism in my opinion. And forgetting the meaning behind the song, it's just a really great vibrant tune. The phrase 'return to form' is such an overused cliche, but last years tunes really were a return to form for Coldplay. It finally felt like the band I loved in sixth form that released Viva La Vida was back.