From pitchfork:

Following a new video for a song called "Midnight", Coldplay have announced their first new album since 2011's Mylo Xyloto. It's called Ghost Stories and it's out on May 19 via Parlophone/Atlantic.

Listen to the new single, "Magic", after the tracklist, and revisit our 2011 interview with Martin.

Ghost Stories:

01 Always In My Head
02 Magic
03 Ink
04 True Love
05 Midnight
06 Another's Arms
07 Oceans
08 A Sky Full Of Stars
09 O

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Following the Star Trek/Coldplay theory, this should be a good one!

Midnight is great but Magic is just okay for me, so far.

Looking forward to this new album.

Didn't care at all for Magic.

Same. I didn't care for Midnight either. Oh well, there's still 7 other tracks on the album.

Hmm... perhaps it will grow on me, but nothing special so far.

What happened to that break or sabbatical Chris Martin was planning?

Finally heard Magic this morning. Awful! Sounded like something 1991 rejected. It wanders all over he place and has too much synth.

I never picked up Mylo, and feel like I have less reason too. I really enjoyed older Coldplay albums, but feel like with every new release they are going backwards in quality. Trying a bunch of experimental sounds and in the process have lost what makes them Coldplay.

Haven't heard the new material but I'm in for even numbered Coldplay albums, as always.

Yeah, they're still OK. But they need to strip it down, go back to basics & make another Parachutes type record.

A couple of the singles (that I didn't like before) have grown on me. I really like the album after 1 spin.

It sounds a bit different, but in a good way. Shocked there are only 9 songs and you have to go through Target to get the 3 extra tracks though.

It's definitely their weakest album thus far. They've hung out with Brian Eno too much.

The extra songs on the aforementioned Target edition are:

10. All Your Friends
11. Ghost Story
12. O (Reprise)

Yep, didn't like it at all....and I didn't care for Mylo Xyloto either.

Thank you, that is all I needed to know about this album. Anytime he's involved, I'm pretty sure not to like it.

Listened to for free on iTunes. It is so bad that I would not download it if it free. Such a shame.

Chris and co. were on Ellen today - I'm trying to decide which was worse: 'A Sky Full Of Stars' or 'Magic' both displayed such inept lazy lyric writing that to call it 'bad' would be an overstatement.

"Magic"

Call it magic
Call it true
Call it magic
When I'm with you
And I just got broken
Broken into two
Still I call it magic
When I'm next to you

And I don't, and I don't and I don't, and I don't
No, I don't,
It's true
I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't want anybody else but you
I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't
No, I don't,
It's true
I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't want anybody else but you

Ooooh ooh ooh

Call it magic
Cut me into two
And with all your magic
I disappear from view
And I can't get over
Can't get over you
Still I call it magic
You're such a precious jewel

And I don't, and I don't and I don't, and I don't
No, I don't,
It's true
I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't want anybody else but you
I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't
No, I don't,
It's true
I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't want anybody else but you

Wanna fall
I fall so far
I wanna fall
I fall so hard
And I call it magic
And I call it true
I call it magic

Ooooh ooh ooh
Ooooh ooh ooh
Ooooh ooh ooh
Ooooh ooh ooh

And if you were to ask me
After all that we've been through
Still believe in magic
Oh yes I do
Oh yes I do
Yes I do
Oh yes I do
Of course I do



MY. GOD.

Yeah, album is pretty weak.

here's 'Sky Full of Stars' - the writing is just painful:


'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
I'm gonna give you my heart
'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
'Cause you light up the path

I don't care, go on and tear me apart
I don't care if you do, ooh
'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars
I think I saw you

'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars
I wanna die in your arms
'Cause you get lighter the more it gets dark
I'm gonna give you my heart

I don't care, go on and tear me apart
I don't care if you do, ooh
'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars
I think I see you
I think I see you

You're a sky, you're a sky full of stars
Such a heavenly view
You're such a heavenly view

It's definitely different, much more subdued and mellow, but in the right mood I'm enjoying it.

I picked up the CD on a whim today and liked it enough that I went back and got Viva La Vida and Mylo Xyloto. I used to think that Coldplay were just Radiohead/U2 lite but these albums are better than anything Radiohead has done since Kid A/Amnesiac and U2 since Achtung Baby.

I'm a big fan of both the Viva and Mylo albums.

I haven't got around to getting this new one yet. Maybe due to really not liking Magic. It's maybe my least favourite song by them ever, even trumping Violet Hill(the only negative for me on Mylo). I'm sure I will pick it up at some point, just not too eager.

I haven't finished the album yet... but from what I've heard so far it is absolutely their weakest. And I've liked everything they've put out so far. The lyrics are pretty lame.

Seriously, who in the fuck ever listened to Coldplay for great lyrics? Jesus Christ.

It's about the melodies. This album is just fine.

Ghost Story is the best song and that is the extra on the Target Exclusive.

I liked Vida and Mylo but not that his album.

Where are the anthems and the melodies in the new album?

A Sky Full of Stars might have weak lyrics but it is better than most of the songs on the album.

Maybe if Martin was still with Gwyneth the album would have been better and he would have not have written so many slow boring songs.

At least now I can watch their NBC concert after hearing all of the songs.