Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay’s fifth studio album, was released worldwide October 24, 2011. The album, Mylo Xyloto is a concept album, and its contents follow a story throughout. According to the lead singer, Chris Martin, the album is a love story and, of course, it ends with a happy ending; nothing surprising there. The band not only played it safe content-wise, but musically as well.

I will be the first to admit, I am not a huge Coldplay fan, but their past albums have been tolerable to endure. When I first listened to this album I had to turn it off immediately. Its’ spastic ballads and annoying melodies left me with a fear of turning it back on; but alas, I listened more. Their quest to transform into an electronic-tinged pop outfit failed miserably, unlike Viva la Vida or Death, which merely dabbled in this new direction. The conflict of stirring in new aspirations with old, makes the album’s lack of consistency extremely obvious.

However, there are two exceptions to this mostly awful album. Those exceptions would be ‘Hurts Like Heaven’ and ‘Princess of China’. When the band mixes there indie rock roots with their new found pop aspiration in the song ‘Princess of China’, it results in an ultimately satisfying upbeat song. Rihanna lent a hand adding her pitch-perfect voice to the song, giving it just the boost it needed. Coldplay provides a song that sounds like Jay Z’s ‘Run This Town’ and Rihanna’s own ‘What’s My Name,’ making, in my opinion, a perfect song.

Overall, I am disappointed in Coldplay’s newest album. It lacked cohesiveness, and the lyrical genius I am used to. The boring story, and distracting music left me severely annoyed and with a huge headache. Coldplay, step it up.