Coldplay is having an identity crisis as they reach their third decade of recording music.
The British band has been a staple of popular music since their first album, Parachutes. They are best known for their emotional yet inspirational songs, with smash hits like “Viva La Vida” and “The Scientist” enduring the test of time and being used in hundreds of millions of videos on TikTok.
Their new album Moon Music, released last Friday, continues their ongoing “Music of the Spheres” project, which is two albums coupled with a world concert tour that explores the cosmos.
In 2021 when they released their first album of the project, they struggled to execute the theme and were criticized for lacking depth, although the song “Coloratura” was widely praised as an epic reminiscent of Pink Floyd.
The band continues to explore the beautiful, spacey sound of “Coloratura” on this latest album. While there were occasional glimmers, the album felt tonally inconsistent, jumping from one sonic idea to the next without staying on any one long enough to truly call it its own. As a result, it lacks identity as a whole.
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The opening track, “MOON MUSiC,” has a promising start, creating an ethereal atmosphere accompanied by a gorgeous string section.
Frontman Chris Martin tries to find purpose in the face of loneliness, singing, “If there’s anyone out there, I’m close to the end / If there’s anyone out there, I just need a friend.” He transports listeners to a quiet and serene place beyond the stars, maintaining their core sentimental vibe while adding a new reflective feeling.
This similarly works to great effect in “🌈 (ALiEN HiTS/ALiEN RADiO).” The multifaceted suite transports listeners into a scene of traveling through space with its psychedelic guitars and sweeping piano. It feels otherworldly yet is very moving.
The final track, “ONE WORLD,” plays to the album’s far-out strengths, once again relying on a minimalist, moving instrumental. The repeated lyric, “In the end, it’s just love,” is simple but emotionally resonant. Its theme of love conquering all is poignant and something everyone can relate to.
The rest of the album is unfortunately weaker, often feeling like it’s going off on weird tangents and abruptly changing genres throughout. The ones that do stay on theme don’t have a lot of staying power either.
“WE PRAY” is cinematic and grandiose, reminiscent of Imagine Dragons. It tries to do a lot in four minutes, backed by a choir and guest features from rapper Little Simz and singer Burna Boy. Simz delivers an expectedly great verse, complete with an effortless flow and deep lyrics about hoping for a better life, but it doesn’t mesh with Martin and makes the song feel wildly out of place.
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“AETERNA” inexplicably dives into the house music realm and is distractingly more upbeat than every other song. Martin attempts a falsetto on the chorus, which feels rather strained. While not offensively bad, it’s a confusing inclusion.
Overall, Moon Music is weakened by its generic lyrics. Aside from a few standout lines, it is mostly superficial and unexceptional and feels like a jumble of AI-generation.
“GOOD FEELiNGS” is the biggest offender of bland writing, with lines “We fell in love in the summer / I remember, baby, we saw the sun shine too.” Its title tells you everything you need to know — Martin feels good with his lover and doesn’t want it to end. Unfortunately, it fails to expand beyond that simplistic idea.
Some songs — in spite of the corny lyrics — have interesting themes surrounding love and hope. “JUPiTER” is reminiscent of Jack Johnson with its nostalgic acoustic guitar and sappy lyrics about self-acceptance. Similarly, “feelslikeimfallinginlove” sees Martin fall in love in spite of his fear of rejection.
Unfortunately, the songs on this experimental album just aren’t that remarkable. It sounds good production-wise, but it’s nothing too memorable. They just can’t hold a candle to their instantly iconic melodies like “Viva La Vida” or “Yellow,” nor do they have the same cutting lyrics as “Clocks” or “The Scientist.”
No song on Moon Music was outright bad, but there was clearly missed potential. Had it embraced the space rock vibe of its standout tracks, it could have been a very strong record — but instead, it stretches itself too thin.
