Coldplay released its album “Ghost Stories,” a series of mournful songs reflecting frontman Chris Martin’s personal struggles, in 2014. Critics were disappointed with the somber record, many saying that it wasn’t what was expected of a band of such international acclaim.
A year later, the group has done just the opposite with “A Head Full of Dreams.”
“It’s about love and acceptance and embracing what happens to you,” Martin said to Rolling Stone.
The album is a little bit of everything, a journey indicative of Martin’s own after his split with Gwyneth Paltrow.
“A Head Full of Dreams” is reminiscent of 2011’s “Mylo Xyloto” in that it’s colorful and experimental, featuring guests such as Beyoncé, Noel Gallagher and Tove Lo.
The title track begins the album with an upbeat ballad of renewal and possibility.
“Leave your broken windows open / And in the light just streams / And you get a head / A head full of dreams,” Martin sings over light-tones synth and a guitar line that can only be described as groovy.
The time between tracks is short, and the first track immediately turns to “Birds” in a bit of a sensory overload. Also fast-paced, this track shows off the band’s lyrical skill.
“We don’t need words / Close your eyes and see,” belts Martin. The lyrics also preach to something greater. “Raise this noise / One million people, and not one voice.”
“Birds” ends abruptly, though the next track, “Hymn for the Weekend,” begins with chirping, linking them together. This track proves to be more “adult” compared to the others.
Beyoncé’s voice is recognizable from the start in a layered intro that leads to a piano melody backed by claps. Martin sings of angels, drinks and drugs, but it somehow works — no doubt because of Beyoncé’s limited yet powerful presence.
“I’m feeling drunk and high / So high, so high,” the two sing.
“Everglow” follows Beyoncé’s appearance with that of Paltrow as background vocals. The rest of the song is all Martin and piano, making it seem honest and stripped down. Though marked as “for Habib and Mehrdad” in the album booklet, the song seems deeply personal to Martin.
“Oh they say people come / They say people go,” he sings, “ … Though you may be gone / And the world may not know/ Still I see you celestial.”
He ends it with a bittersweet, “So if you love someone, you should let them know / Oh, the light that you left me will everglow.”
The low mood is immediately remedied by the “Princess of China”-like sounding “Adventure of a Lifetime.” As the first single of the album, it’s fast-paced, cheery, exciting and full of instrumental contributions.
“If we’ve only got this life / This adventure oh then I / Want to share it with you,” sings Martin.
The sixth track, “Fun,” features Tove Lo. The duo sings about the end but continues to ask, “Didn’t we have fun?”
Though she doesn’t come in until the second verse, Tove Lo’s voice adds the higher harmony that softens the song, taking away some of the accusatory connotation. They end with “Didn’t we have fun / But didn’t / Maybe we could again?”
Notably different from the others, “Kaleidoscope” is a spoken track. Coleman Barks reads a translated version of 13th-century poet Rumi’s “The Guest House,” a poem that helped Martin after his divorce.
The end of the track features a sound clip of President Barack Obama singing “Amazing Grace” from the funeral of a pastor killed during the Charleston church shooting.
“Army of One” is another sweet ballad with a psychedelic feel. “My army of one is going to fight for you,” Martin sings. It’s a less personal song — cute, in a high school way.
“Amazing Day” helps the album bounce back, Martin’s boyish charm once again striking a chord with the audience.
“In your eyes / I’m drifting away / And your arms / I just wanna sway / Amazing day,” he sings, reminding us all of a moment that ended far too soon.
The final track, “Up&Up,” is introduced by the one-minute “Colour Spectrum,” and somehow sounds just like the color spectrum should. Once the final track begins, it’s evident that this song is more important than the rest. It has strings, scaled back Martin, Beyoncé and even Noel Gallagher on guitar.
It seems like a goodbye — a finale. Martin hinted to Consequence of Sound that this might be the final album from Coldplay. But there is a strange sense that we’ll see them again.
“Gonna get it, get it together and go / Up and up and up,” a chorus sings. Martin ends with, “When you’re in pain, when you think you’ve had enough / Don’t ever give up / Don’t ever give up / Believe in love.”
