After nearly five years, Coldplay has emerged from musical stagnation with two singles off their upcoming album, Everyday Life. The album’s title seems to be the exact premise of the singles, celebrating the small moments in life with a blend of saxophone solos, bluesy guitar riffs and dynamic horns.
“Orphans” sounds like the Coldplay we’ve heard on past albums, with its bubbly “woo-woos” and Chris Martin’s passionate chanting throughout the verses. The lyrics are nostalgic in nature, walking through the loneliness of being away from home while still maintaining an overwhelming and spirited sensation of freedom. The tune ends with an overpowering blend of drums and background vocals as Martin sings the line “I want to be with you ‘till the whole world ends,” crafting the signature Coldplay euphoria.
“Arabesque” is more experimental in nature, slightly deviating from Coldplay’s soft rock tradition. The tune starts off with noises from a bustling city and transitions into an angular guitar riff before the introduction of a protrusive horn section that has its own solo towards the end of the song. Unlike “Orphans,” “Arabesque” is more lyrically abstract as it attempts to deconstruct Western fears of Islam in the wake of terrorism. Interwoven in the folk sounds are Middle Eastern motifs, such as the prominence of percussion instruments and the usage of horns.
Despite the time away, Coldplay still sounds like the euphoric rock band they established themselves as back in the ’90s. While “Arabesque” slightly diverges from their traditional rock sound, both singles revisit the signature sound of the band. The singles are complex yet captivating and serve as a promising precursor to Everyday Life.