’…for those who have found enjoyment in the band’s pop output, this is a solid albeit peculiar offering…’
Back in 2021, Coldplay released their ninth album, ‘Music of the Spheres’, which marked the beginning of their musical trilogy of the same name. The album was widely considered the worst to date from the band, condemned for its uninspired sounds, messy vision, and generally poor quality songwriting; ‘Biyutiful’ may well have taken the title of worst Coldplay song.
Despite this, some things could be salvaged, such as symphonic progressive epic ‘Coloratura’, the loveable Muse-esque melodrama of ‘People of the Pride’, and the knowledge that, if nothing else, the pop bombast promised a stunning live show. Three years and one strangely subdued album rollout later, the band have finally released the second part of their ‘Music of the Spheres’ trilogy, ‘Moon Music’.
‘Moon Music’ is a peculiar dynamic shift from the band’s previous offering, despite still being part of the overall ‘Music of the Spheres’ trilogy. The space theming is still more of a background feature than a real conceptual narrative, but on this occasion, this feels like more of a conscious artistic decision; it is almost as if Coldplay themselves realised that they screwed up their alien radio station concept with the lack of focus on ‘Music of the Spheres’, and have brought themselves back down to earth.
The result is an album that, whilst still a far cry from the best material of the legendary band, puts them back in an interesting and engaging position. As opposed to uninspired and oversized pop that blinds the listener with its garishness, ‘Moon Music’ is a surprisingly tender and stripped back collection of tracks; make no mistake, Coldplay are still deep in their pop era here, but in pulling influence from 90’s dance, afrobeat, and lo-fi bedroom pop, they have created something that feels not only cohesive, but actually relevant to the album’s themes.
Beneath all of the glitter, this is a vulnerable and surprisingly somber listen. Chris Martin’s songwriting is a little egregious at times, especially with his over reliance on ‘la-la-la’ vocalisations on this record, but his humanity shines through; he presents as a man who has everything but still feels hollow, wondering when his storm clouds will gift him a rainbow.
Tracks such as ‘iAAM’ , with its driving rhythms and bright, chiming pianos, demonstrate that hope is present, but it’s fragile; lyrics such as ‘I’m really sorry for some things I said along the way/I really love you, I just didn’t like myself that day’ pierce through the cheery pop veneer in a beautifully bittersweet way. ‘JUPiTER’ offers a similar feeling, with jangly, sparkling guitars belying a gripping, unrelenting self-doubt and fear that the world is never getting better.
Surprisingly, lead single ‘feelslikeimfallinginlove’ ends up being one of the highlights of the record. As a stand-alone release, the track felt unremarkable and lacking in impact. However, when placed in the context of the album, accompanied by the truly beautiful opening symphony ’MOON MUSiC’, it becomes a wonderfully delicate declaration of affection, even when the world seems to be ending around you.
Similar can be said for follow-up single ‘WE PRAY’, with Martin’s appreciation of musicians of colour being a prominent feature across the span of this record; the gospel and afrobeat influences speak for themselves, and ‘WE PRAY’ exists almost as a moment for Martin to repay what musicians of colour have gifted him on this record, with features from Lil Simz, Burna Boy, Tini and Elyanna. The central string melody still feels a little overdramatic, especially when compared to the subdued nature of the rest of the record, but the song thrives a lot more in the context of the album.
A central issue with all of this, however, is that it leaves the entire ‘Music of the Spheres’ project feeing even more anomalous and unfulfilled. The band have provided few details on what the true, exact goal of this project is, and ‘Moon Music’, outside of the name, seems to be a real pivot away from the grandiose space opera that the band originally envisioned. This is less ‘Music of the Spheres: Vol. II’, and more ‘Ghost Stories: Vol. II’; where the band are headed is still wholly unclear. Newcomers to the band, if any exist, may be able to sense that lack of direction.
However, by the tender, sweeping orchestral ending of ‘ONE WORLD’, you cannot help but acknowledge that Coldplay still possess some magic. Certainly, many will deride anything beyond the band’s first three albums as being sell-out pop nonsense, but time and time again, the band prove that they still have the capacity for beautiful, soul-touching musicianship.
‘Moon Music’ won’t be topping any end of year lists, and it certainly won’t be topping any rankings of the Coldplay discography. The confused direction of ‘Music of the Spheres’ still plagues the band on this new album. But for those who have found enjoyment in the band’s pop output, this is a solid albeit peculiar offering. Sit with ‘Moon Music’, and pay attention to it from start to finish, and the beauty between the flaws radiates in the most warming way.
Just try not to count how many ‘la-la-la’ chants there are. Use your words, Chris!
RATING: 74/100 – Good
For Fans Of: Imagine Dragons, Muse, Sleep Token,
Physical copies are available to purchase here.
Follow the band on social media below:
VINYL FANTASY REVIEWS 
Leave a comment