Everyday Life is perhaps one of the most themed albums on the market today. Sixteen tracks that were originally going to become two separate albums and that, in the end, have turned out to be two in one: Sunrise, with songs that sound like "morning time" and Sunset, with songs that sound like "afternoon time".
Many critics say that this may be the most complete album that has been heard in years. It features all sorts of sounds, musical styles, even people speaking in other languages, as well as environmental sounds such as rain or the passing of people and cars in the downtown streets of western cities. It also important the ingenuity with which the group has decided to present it: two streaming concerts via Youtube from Jordan. One at 7am and the next one at 4pm, each coinciding with the moments of the day to which each of the two parts alludes.
SUNRISE (PART I)
Sunrise
A string quartet performs a sublime interpretation of what could be interpreted as "the sound of awakening". Sunrise is a two-and-a-half-minute prelude that undoubtedly sums up in its entirety all that can be enjoyed afterward: life made music. An emotional instrumental theme that shows the dawn of something great.
Coldplay's dawn. The birth of Everyday Life.
Church
On a melodic level, the group has chosen this theme as the second most likely because it represents that moment when the sun begins to appear from the mountains. A quiet theme, with guitars that perform a very linear melody with hardly any changes in volume or tones but with that essential hook of the Coldplay brand.
On a lyrical level, this song detaches Coldplay's fans.
A decade after the release of the album that led them to take the big leap, Martin's group reveals a theme that some already think it might be a conversation with God, the same that, in Viva La Vida and Death All His Friends made the group questioned its existence.
Taking into account the following tracks from this new album, it seems like the group, at this part of life, is a full believer. In this song, the voices coming from different parts of the world make their first appearance. This time, very much reminding to Gladiator's soundtrack, Norah Shaqur intones in Persian, the last lines that mimic Martin's voice.
Trouble In Town
In a four and a half minutes song, the group criticizes the police's treatment to color people in Western countries and in the United States, claiming that they are not safe even in their own countries.
In this track, they add the real audio of a policeman who harasses one of these people, using the word "brown" to refer to them, as well as saying phrases such as "we don't want you here anyway. All you do is weaken the country."
On a musical level, the group wanted to represent these situations by increasing the volume and adding electric guitars and drums once the audio ends. Thus bursting the feeling of pain and anger that generates impotence in these types of situations.
BrokEN
Coldplay dedicates this song to Brian Eno, the band's former producer, by using North America's purest Gospel Style. A cheerful song, full of good vibes that includes the African-American sector using its most characteristic musical style.
Daddy
A heartbeat marks the beginning of the saddest and darkest single of Coldplay's new album.
Daddy is a song dedicated to children, to those who loss more than anyone else in wars. This second single of Sunrise is reminiscent of the album "Ghost Stories, suggestive of songs like "Magic" or "O". The delicate volume of Martin's voice penetrates deep into very humanitarian and hard lyrics that end up provoking tears on the listener and the viewer of a music video purely childish and innocent.
At the end, birds and the sound of nature begin to be heard, reminiscent of the beginning of "Hymn for the weekend", connecting with the following theme:
WOTW/POTP
Although the title seems unpronounceable at first sight, it is nothing more than an acronym for the phrase repeated in the chorus: Wonder of the world/Power of the people.
It is the virgin song of Coldplay. Recorded as it has been interpreted. Mistakes included. Chris Martin's voice and the guitar with the sound of the birds in the background result in a transition theme that calms a bit the atmosphere within so much revindication.
Arabesque
Together with "Orphans", it was the theme that opened this new album more than a month ago. An atypical and purely experimental theme that becomes a hotchpotch of very different styles and even has parts of the lyrics in French. It's the band's own Bohemian Raphsody.
Arabesque, despite being strange for its style, it hypnotizes for its innovation.
According to Genius, Arabesque is Coldplay's way of trying to sew peace after the Western fear of Islam with the ongoing war on terrorism. Instrumentally, the song mixes Western musical styles with Middle Eastern rhythms (such as guitar and saxophone) placing the idea that "music unites us all".
Arabesque, on the other hand, is a genre of visual arts used in Middle Eastern countries. The meaning of the theme is also parallel and similar to the song "بنی آدم (Children of Adam)", which can be found in the second part of the album.
SUNSET (PART II)
Guns
Sunset opens with the most critical and guerrilla theme of the entire album. This country-style song, critiques the Americans' love of guns and the way people have been led to believe that gun violence is fixed by arming everyone rather than regulating guns themselves.
Orphans
This is the track with more good vibes at musical level of the whole album but that does not stop having that realistic and sad background within the lyrics that revolves around the whole album. That's life: full of happiness and sadness in equal parts.
"Orphans" tackles the Syrian civil war, more specifically the 2018 bombing of Damascus. It shows the story of a girl (Rosaleem) and her Baba (father in Persian) who are now refugees. They are received for what they believe to be the archangels, who is most likely someone who helps them in the refugee crisis.
Èkó
It means Lagos in the Yoruba language and it also is a city in southwestern Nigeria. In translations, èkó means everything that has to do with learning, doctrine or even morality. Little is known about the meaning of the letter, beyond what is understood: Joseph, someone who represents the inhabitants of deep Africa and their daily problems.
Cry, cry, cry
Influenced entirely by R&B and Blues, a high-pitched voice choruses Chris Martin on the most romantic track on this album. Ideal for dancing with that person to the rhythm of "when you cry, cry, cry, baby, I'll be by your side".
Old Friends
This acoustic theme is reminiscent of the warmth of old friendships. It feels like a hug from those who have always been with us. Friendship. Another of the great topics of life that Coldplay also wanted to add to this album.
Very much in the style of "Parachutes" songs like "We Never Change", the essence of Coldplay is latent in each of the chords of this track.
بنی آدم (Children of Adam)
Inspired by a Persian poem, Coldplay has traveled deep into the Middle East to showcase its art through this song.
It begins with a very Romantic piano melody that inspires both sadness and hope. As usual in other songs of the band, after a minute and a half they make a sudden change of sound, shuffling the piano for an electric guitar, with bass and drums that accompany a woman who recites in Farsi. Followed by a piece of what seems to be a Nigerian gospel song that comes to say "What are you talking about, dear God? For everything, God made it."
This gospel song becomes the link to the next track:
Champion of the world
This was the song that was released with "Daddy" just a few days ago.
It deals with mental illness, another important issue that needs vindication. Specifically, it is a tribute to Scott Hutchison, the lead singer of "Frightened Rabbit" who took his own life in May 2018 after fighting depression.
The song was released on November 20th, which would have been Scott's 38th birthday.
"Champion of the World" sounds like the old Coldplay's songs. From drums, guitar, bass and Martin's voice that give that flavor to sunset, to freshness and emotion that only Coldplay knows how to mix with topics as delicate as this.
Everyday Life
The LP closes with the song that gives the name to this eighth album. Converted into a single in between the two great parts. It is reminiscent of songs from "A Rush of Blood to the Head" or "X&Y", as well as the magic of "Ghost Stories" in the melody and the group's original "Everglow" from "A Head Full of Dreams". The 'hallelujah' of the last few seconds leaves that final void that makes the whole album fade with it.
"Everyday Life"'s message is that we are all different but we all belong to the same family. It gathers in sixteen songs all that the world struggles with: injustices, wars, orphans, refugees, mistreatment... But it also gathers love, humanity, hope, love, equality...
Everyday Life is life itself collected and made music.
A masterpiece that bears the Coldplay hallmark and has already made history.
