My year in live music – 2014

It was another packed live music schedule in 2014 for me. All up, almost 30 dates, including three festivals and a multitude of artists. Here is my top five, a summary of the next best, and the full list of gigs attended.

No.1 Elbow

Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW, 26 October

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A simple equation here: one of my favourite bands of all time plays one of my favourite venues of all time. How could it fail to impress me? Answer: it didn’t. In fact it brought me close to tears a number of times. This show was breathtaking. I’ve seen Elbow in every conceivable setting, from small club to festival, but the majestic Sydney Opera House could be the ideal venue for one of Britain’s best musical exports. The pace of the show was perfect, Charge kicking things off just enough to get toes tapping, with The Bones Of You doing much the same. The Night Will Always Win showcased Guy Garvey’s stunning vocals like never before, highlighting a central core of down-tempo loveliness to melt the toughest of hearts. The Birds acted as the first stanza of a build-up to a tremendous crescendo, including Grounds For Divorce and, of course, another unforgettable encore of One Day Like This.

I cannot put into words the brilliance of this show. It’s an absolute lifetime highlight, a memory that will always burn bright and never be a fading ember.

No.2 Austin City Limits

Zilker Park, Austin TX, 11-12 October

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I wrote at the time about my affection for this weekend. Austin City Limits proved to be one of the best music festivals I’ve ever attended. I saw so many bands I couldn’t list them all here, but highlights included Poliça from side of stage (thanks Craig), a blissful Broken Bells set, the best Phantogram performance I’ve witnessed with Sarah Barthel sexier than ever, an introduction to the insanely infection Avett Brothers, running from Skrillex to Eminem and struggling to believe I was on planet Earth, A supercharged Lorde set and, of course, another flawless Pearl Jam show to close an epic weekend. There was more, but all you need to know was this festival was the dog’s nuts. Even the security staff were cool, the beer was amazing, and Austin’s convoy of fabulous food trucks kept the energy levels tip-top.

No.3 Gladiator and Sydney Symphony

Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW, 3 April

Ever since seeing a documentary about John Williams conducting a live performance of E.T‘s score for the movie’s 25th anniversary, I’ve always wanted to watch a film with the soundtrack performed live while I view. This was my opportunity, and it was a quite magical experience. Gladiator is a flick I hold dear to my heart, and in large part owed to the sublime score crafted by Hans Zimmer. To hear it – and indeed see it – played out before my eyes while the film loomed over the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was an emotional experience. The detail of every scene popped that little but more as a result, every intricate note  and the finale, which always makes me tear up,  had me a blubbering mess. I was touched deeply by this one, and reminded once again of the special place music has in my soul.

No.4 Lady Gaga

Allphones Arena, Sydney NSW, 31 August

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Not since my teens have I really touched the uber-pop stadium artists, but a birthday surprise for my better half took me back into that territory. It was a place I enjoyed as a kid, seeing Madonna several times at Wembley Stadium among others. Lady Gaga was every bit as impressive and memorable, but perhaps more talented in the music stakes. Madonna writes a great tune, performs it brilliantly, but is a flawed singer. Gaga, on the other hand, has sensational vocal chops and the theatre she creates is enormous. The dance floor crowd, which included us, was afforded the opportunity to roam around and under the stage to view from multiple angles, and the air of happiness and hope Gaga created was wonderful. Do What You Want was a hip-grinding riot while Gypsy was an utterly uplifting and triumphant finale, and the band, as most in this genre tend to be, was a collection of absolutely superb musicians. This show as an unexpected joy to behold in every way.

No.5 Asgeir

Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW, 23 July

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We fell in love with Asgeir Trausti thanks to a guy in a bar in Iceland in 2012. We watched a YouTube clip of him and were beguiled by his unique voice and songwriting. Upon the English release of his album In The Silence, the rest of the world cottoned on to his unwavering talent. Seeing him perform in English was a treat. He has the voice of an angel, silencing the normal hubbub of the Metro Theatre. It was mesmerising, beautiful, heart-breaking, absorbing. A flawless performance by a man that is somehow still just 22 years of age.

Three more of the best

Highasakite at Oxford Art Factory was a delight, highlighted by some awesome wardrobe choices and an undeniably cool frontwoman in the gorgeous Ingrid Helene Håvik. Biffy Clyro blew the roof of The Factory Theatre and a topless Simon Neil gave the ladies enough heart palpitations to light up the New York power grid while perspiring to the extent that it’s a wonder a flood warning wasn’t issued by the local authorities. His energy levels are ridiculous. Howling Bells performance at Oxford Art Factory was something of a nostalgic trip back to my early days in Sydney. Waikiki was the band then, but Juanita and Joel Stein have matured significantly since then and created a new sound that was played out with gusto back in their hometown, from where they’ve been missing for some time having relocated to the UK. Come back again soon, please.

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The full list

(Sydney venues unless otherwise stated)

January

6 – Bonobo – Metro Theatre

17 – Chi Udaka – Seymour Centre

26 – Big Day Out – Sydney Olympic Park (acts seen: The Naked And Famous, The Hives, Primus, The Lumineers, Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam)

February

2 – Laneway – Sydney College Of Arts (acts seen: Vance Joy, Frightened Rabbit, Run The Jewels, Daughter, Haim, Lorde, CHVRCHES, The Jezabels)

24 – Biffy Clyro – The Factory Theatre

March

5 – Phoenix – Hordern Pavilion

9 – Flying Lotus – Sydney Opera House

12 – Kate Miller-Heidke – Syemour Centre

April

3 – Gladiator and Sydney Symphony – Sydney Opera House

17 – Morcheeba – Metro Theatre

May

3 – Russian Circle – Manning Bar

13 – The Naked And Famous – Metro Theatre

25 – St Vincent – Sydney Opera House

July

19 – The Preatures – Metro Theatre

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23 – Asgeir – Metro Theatre

24 – Phantogram – Metro Theatre

28 – Tune Yards – Oxford Arts Factory

August

31 – Lady Gaga – AllPhones Arena

September

5 – Biffy Clyro – Enmore Theatre

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12 – Howling Bells – Oxford Art Factory

13 – Sci-Fi Classics – Sydney Opera House

18 – Highasakite – Oxford Art Factory

19 – Saskwatch – Manning Bar

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October

11-12 – Austin City Limits, Zilker Park, Austin TX, USA (acts seen: Poliça, Interpol, Phantogram, The Avett Brothers, Lorde, Eminem, Skrillex, Broken Bells, Pearl Jam)

17 – Trombone Shorty And Orelans Avenue, The Belmont, Austin TX, USA

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26 – Elbow – Sydney Opera House

30 – Cibo Matto – Oxford Art Factory

November

7 – The Les Murray Band – SBS Courtyard

Mercury Music Prize picks talent from another planet

Could FKA twigs win this year’s Mercury Music Prize?

The Mercury Music Prize, whether you’re British or otherwise, is commonly recognised as one of the awards that actually means something. It was set up as an alternative to the Brit Awards, the UK’s glittery Grammy equivalent, or a celeb-fest with an audience of screamers if you’re more cynical. The Mercury Music Prize labels itself as the “music equivalent to the Booker Prize for literature and the Turner Prize for art”, an indication of its high-brow self worth.

It’s fair to say the Mercury Music Prize has picked some pretty awesome albums since its inception in 1992. The inaugural award went to Primal Scream for Screamadelica. Portishead won in 1995 for the breathtaking Dummy, Gomez in 1998 for the fabulous Bring It On and the award blasted Elbow into a whole new level of global fame off the back of its release of The Seldom Seen Kid. Other winners include Suede, Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, PJ Harvey and more recently alt-J and James Blake. There is no question for me that those judging this thing have some bloody great taste, and it’s always heartening to be reminded that the homeland is continuing to produce music of the very highest calibre.

In case you don’t know, each year, 12 albums are short-listed for the prize by a judging panel of music industry people, and generally they’re all bloody fantastic. Quite how they choose a winner is beyond me because the field is always filled with such varied genres. There can be, though, only one winner.

Picking that winner for 2014 will be no less challenging than it has been in previous years, with another eclectic dozen of artists listed plucked from the initial 250 entrants, seven of them in the mix with debut albums. After criticism for picking out established artists, the panel of judges have gone for some newer faces this year, but in a year that has to date produced some quite spectacular new works, that’s not such a surprise to me. It’s been a great year for new music, not just in Britain but globally.

Here are the nominees and a line from me on what I think of the tunes they deliver:

Anna Calvi – One Breath: A super record, in the mould of PJ Harvey or St Vincent. Not my favourite on the list, but well worth your time and certainly a stunning debut.

Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow: Perhaps my favourite on the list, but I’m a long time fan of these guys. They’ve changed it up a bit for this, their fourth release, and in a very positive way. It’s indie pop, with an edge, and I’ve always thought the Club had a unique sound. Perhaps the prize would alert the rest of the world to their talents.

Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots: We all love Damon. His debut solo effort is more Gorillaz than Blur, but as good as anything those two projects produced. But is it different enough to make it stand out? Not for me.

East India Youth – Total Strife Forever: At first listen, it’ll pique your interest, and William Doyle certainly has talent to burn when it comes to electronica. Grates a little as an album for me, but individually, the tracks can be awesome if the right mood strikes, and I’m not even a techno fan.

FKA twigs – LP1: One of the best records you’ll hear this year, perhaps ever. This is something truly different, mesmerising on every level and utterly absorbing.

Jungle – Jungle: Funky, fresh and fun, with some killer grooves that will have your butt wiggling. There is a hint of The Go! Team at times, but without the same delirious energy. Roll the windows down this summer, though, and blast this out to the world.

Young Fathers – Dead: Perhaps my least favourite on the list. It’s hip-hoppy, but fails to take off for me at any point. Lyrically, it’s great, but rhythmically, it didn’t land a punch for me.

Kate Tempest – Everybody Down: I’ve got a soft spot for Kate, because she’s from Brockley, South London, where I grew up. From rapping on the night bus, she’s now set to win a big prize, and deservedly so. He rhymes are magnificent, delivered with wondrous skill. Storytelling has never been so damn cool. Trust me.

GoGo Penguin – v2.0: It’s great to hear jazz with a modern twist, and these three lads deliver that in spades. Drummer Rob Turner has exceptional feel, which holds it all together from start to finish, but the compositions are super lovely.

Nick Mulvey – First Mind: Folk with a tribal twist, Mulvey has a fine record on his hands here. Studied in Cuba, studied Africa, and it all comes through here. He’s been nominated before with Portico Quartet, and his solo tilt is fully deserving of the same honour.

Polar Bear – In Each and Every One: More slightly off-kilter jazz here, but it lacks the sophistication of GoGo Penguin. Still, it’s interesting if not spectacular, and at times sounds like a tune-up.

Royal Blood – Royal Blood: Rock out time to finish things off. This has hallmarks of Muse, Jack White, and a Tom Morello guitar tones at times. It’s a toe-tapper for sure, and will have heads banging everywhere it’s played.

 

Ten things I’ve been listening to

Once again I find myself apologising for the massive gap between this post and the last. If only I could do this full-time and not the job that actually pays me money to survive in this dig eat dog world. Ho hum.

Anyway, I thought I’d keep it simple by posting a bunch of songs I’ve heard over the past few weeks I haven’t been writing. Hope you’ve all got Spotify. If not, now is a good time to sign up, because it just launched a redesign which is pretty sweet.

1. Porter Robinson – Sea Of Voices
This one surprised me a little. Porter Robinson is perhaps better know for his dancefloor fillers like Unison and Language. But with this one, he gone all atmospheric and anthemic. It’s got a fair does of M83 about it, and is apparently the new direction he wants to go in. Good on him. He’s ageing, like the rest of us, and appears to have chose to do so gracefully. I heard this one while away on a long weekend in Mornington.

2. deadmau5 – Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff (Nero Remix) feat Rob Swire
Nothing like a bit of dubstep to blow your mind, especially when it’s in a snowboard movie, as this track is. In the amazing film Art Of Flight, which I watched on Blu-ray in awe a few weeks back, this track accompanies some quite breathtaking super-slow-mo footage of some of the world’s best boarders in powder we can only dream of riding.

3. Elbow – Fly Boy Blue/Lunette
A song I raved about when I reviewed Elbow’s latest album The Take Off And Landing Of Everything, last month. Read more there, I guess. A cracking tune, especially the Lunette half.

4. Erik Hassle – Somebody’s Party EP
Sweden’s Erik Hassle is, for me, one of the best soul voices I’ve ever heard. Seriously, I know that’s a big call, but he is blissfully gifted. He hit me hard a few years back with an extraordinary cover of Sam Cooke’s Nothing Can Ever Change This Love For You, and I’ve loved him ever since. He’s recently released an EP, and it’s a beauty, full of heartfelt lyrics and eclectic arrangements that break the mould. The guy is awesome. Listen, in particular, to Innocence Lost, which features Tinashe.

5. Embrace – Refugees EP
Yorkshire rockers Embrace haven’t done anything for a very long time. This EP, released last year, came to my attention via some sort of music discovery app. Just when I thought they were dead and buried, they slapped me in the face and demanded my attention again. This EP is the forerunner to a sixth album, due out this month and self-titled. If this collection is anything to go by, it sounds like it might be good.

6. Beck – Morning Phase
Not much to say about this other than it is still my early contender for album of the year. Beck took my breath away when he released this earlier in 2014. Every listen melts me. A truly magnificent musical compendium.

7. The Preatures – Better Than It Ever Could Be
Another band I spruiked back in February, largely as a result of this song getting a bit of airplay. Read more here, and listen below. A cracking little summer song, and while summer may be over, the song still rings in my ears.

8. Lykke Li – No Rest For The Wicked
I like Lykke Li, quite fancy her, actually. She’s Scandinavian (tick), sexy (tick), has an awesome voice (tick), and sings my kind of songs. No Rest For The Wicked has popped out of her forthcoming album I Never Learn. It’s in no way a new direction for her musically, but so what? I like her style, and I’ve been spinning this one a fair bit.

9. Broken Bells – Perfect World
One half Shins singer/guitarist James Mercer, the other musical genius Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse), Broken Bells is such a great little project: two guys that just have fun with sounds and produce some sensational tunes. It was a big secret for a while, but now they’re open about their brilliance, thank goodness. After The Disco is the duo’s second album and came out in February. No doubt you’ve heard Holding On To Life, but the one I keep playing over and over is Perfect World. It just feels like one when you’re listening to these boys.

10. The Alan Parsons Project – Time
Yeh, this is an old one, but I found a copy of The Turn Of A Friendly Card on vinyl at a market so got listening to it again. That album was released in 1980, and I was pretty obsessed with it at the age of nine or 10. Incredible really when I think about it. I still love it, especially this track. Sit back, headphones on loud, and let it sweep over you. It’s a stunner.

REVIEW: Elbow – The Take Off And Landing Of Everything

Elbow – The Take Off And Landing Of Everything album art.

Maybe it’s because I’m in the same generation as Elbow, who are hitting or have already hit 40. Maybe it’s because lead singer Guy Garvey and I appear to have similar interests without knowing each other from bars of soap. Maybe it’s because I love the way he finds positives in all the negatives. Or maybe it’s just because the music is always so bloody good.

Whatever it is, Elbow has once again released a collection of beautiful songs for us to enjoy in The Take Off And Landing Of Everything. Garvey has allowed his lyrics to soar higher than ever before, and even had the confidence to commit a couple of first drafts to tape, New York Morning and Fly Boy / Lunette the two songs in question.

It’s true, there are no major surprises across the album’s 10 songs, but bands this good don’t need bells and whistles to make you listen. From the opener, This Blue World, we’re immediately drawn into a fantastical world of poetry and motion. “Our atoms straining to align, was the universe in rehearsal for us?” It’s a long opener, more than seven minutes, but it’s an hypnotic experience just to lay back and allow yourself to be swept away on its charming waves.

Charge picks things up with its gritty rhythm and chinking reggae guitar as Garvey sings the story of a middle-aged man in a boozer realising that a new generation has popped up behind him, and thinks he’s old and past it. “Another night beside myself could finish me. Give me G&T and sympathy.” It’s so well written, you laugh and empathise all at once. “I’ve broken jaws protecting laws to keep you free.” It’s a middle finger in the face for all the young bucks that swan around town these days thinking they own the place, and are entitled to everything without having to work for it. Hipsters. Who needs them? This is truly the grumpy old man in full voice.

Fly Boy / Lunette chugs along nicely, and while a disjointed two-songs-in-one arrangement, is perhaps my favourite track. There are some Pink Floyd moments in its first half, perhaps an unintentional hat-tip to Elbow’s fellow Brits from the song’s writer, drummer Richard Jupp. But it’s the second half that really grips. A genius bassline from Pete Turner drives it all as Jupp guides him along on the sea of Mark Potter’s acoustic guitar. And then there are the lyrics. I listened in sheer wonderment. “Perverse as it may sound I sometimes believe, the tip to my lips just reminds me to breathe.” And then this. “I’m reaching the age when decisions are made on life and living, and I’m sure last ditch that I’ll ask for more time, but mother forgive me, I’ll still want a bottle of good Irish whiskey and a bundle of smokes in my grave.” It really, very rarely, gets better than that.

Garvey’s remarkable skill as a writer has been long apparent, but it’s on this album that he appears to have truly let himself shine. He constructs not just wonderful stories, but writes them up like poems. He’s kept a diary since his mid-teens, which no doubt helps to unearth a few gems, but he truly crafts the most wonderful lines and, somehow, stitches them together in prose that plays along delightedly to the music the band as a whole composes. And to think Fly Boy / Lunette is a first draft just staggers me.

New York Morning, the album’s other first draft, was written by Garvey when he spent some months in Brooklyn on another project. It’s the first time, apparently, he’d ever lived anywhere other than Manchester, and represents Elbow’s first song about a city other than their home. It’s a marvellous rendition of everything New York, which he describes as the “modern Rome and folks are nice to Yoko”.

As we hit the album’s midpoint, it becomes clear that relationships have played their part in this record. Garvey split from his decade-long romance with author Emma Jane Unsworth in the process of Elbow writing The Take Off And Landing Of Everything. Dedication to that task proved too much for them both to bear. But there remain lighter moments on the record. Honey Sun starts after what sounds like a laughter-filled outtake from the studio before hitting a somewhat surprising electronic feel, and My Sad Captains is a beautiful little tale of how spending a night in conversation with a couple of pals has become infinitely better than staggering around the streets across a weekend with 15 of your “best” mates, learning nothing. “Another sunrise with my sad captains, with whom I choose to lose my mind, and if it’s so we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.”

Colour Fields brings back the electronic beats of Honey Sun, a driving backbone that is perfect for the tale it tells of a “bright girl” from a “dead town”, whom he thinks should skip that destination for a better place.

The title track of the album is something of a summary of the band’s life events, and the album as a whole, while closing track The Blanket Of Night tucks us all in nicely with its bluesy, jazzy undertones.

The Take Off And Landing Of Everything is probably not Elbow’s best album, and it has no moments of cloud-bursting triumph like those of One Day Like This or even Newborn from back in the day, but it does stick like glue to the mind, and allows an escape route from the mundane music that pollutes our radio airwaves, and for that, we can be truly grateful.

Wake up to Elbow’s beautiful New York Morning

The sleeve art for Elbow’s New York Morning single.

We wrote a few days ago about Elbow’s new material, and this week, the first single from upcoming album The Take Off And Landing Of Everything is out.

New York Morning is a cracking way to introduce us to the new record. I already want more, because it’s a truly magnificent piece of music. Check it out via the video below, or listen to the Spotify embed if you want to close your eyes and truly listen. (I recommend the latter first.)

If you’re unaware, the clip is a tribute to Dennis and Lois, a music-mad Brooklyn couple who met through music and continue to enjoy their lives through it. “That’s what I do with my money. Buy gas and go and see music,” Lois says. Apart from the gas part, how I can empathise with that.

The Take Off And Landing Of Everything is slated for launch on 7 March. Here’s the tracklisting, which the band released earlier this month.

This Blue World
Charge
Fly Boy Blue/Lunette
New York Morning
Real Life (Angel)
Honey Sun
My Sad Captains
Colour Fields
The Take Off and Landing of Everything
The Blanket of Night

Elbow teases new album with new track

Elbow frontman Guy Garvey, delivering another flawless performance on new track Fly Boy Blue / Lunette.

It’s been a pretty exciting 2014 musically so far, and now we’ve got some new Elbow material to feast our ears on, too.

The award-winning British group is set to release its sixth studio album The Take Off And Landing Of Everything, and this week sent this track out to the masses, Fly Boy Blue / Lunette.

It’s good, particularly the second half, and singer Guy Garvey has clearly been thinking hard about his lyrics for this one. I particularly empathise with the line, “I’ll still want a bottle of good Irish whiskey and a bundle of smokes in my grave”.

It sounds like the construction of the songs was a little unusual this time around, starting with drummer Richard Jupp, who is no stranger to writing songs for the band along with the rest of the musicians involved.

“Rich went into the studio and recorded several different drum patterns for me. I’ll go away next week and try and write lyrics for them. We’ve never worked this way before, but we’ll see what happens,” Garvey told The Mirror a while back.

It’s a collaborative little clique.

Fly Boy Blue / Lunette has a few Elbow hallmarks, not least lyrically and in Garvey’s delivery, Manchester accent still wonderfully intact throughout. The halfway point slides down to a slow hypnotic flow that reminded me of Newborn, the third single from the band’s debut album Asleep In The Back in 2001. While it doesn’t climb to the heights where that oldie finishes, it is a beautifully constructed finish to this new track.

The band appears to be losing nothing over the years. In this new track, we seem to be harking back to earlier days, pre-2008 Mercury Music Prize winning days when they were still relatively unknown to the masses that now throng to their shows around the world. It’s exciting to hear, because those of us that have been fans from the outset remember those tunes fondly, and I’ve personally been hoping for a return to those times.

The Take Off And Landing Of Everything is set for release on 10 March. While I’m not keen to wish my life away, that date can’t come quick enough.

Song of the day – Shuffle

Bombay Bicycle Club is a band that has given me a lot of joy over the past few years. It started with the 2007 EP The Boy I Used To Be, which included the pounding raw wonder of Cancel On Me, a track I was obsessed with for months. That was followed by a couple of other EPs before the magic debut album I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, which included the aforementioned track as well as another cracker in What If, which cemented drummer Suren de Saram in my mind as one to watch.

Since then things have moved on. They’ve matured into a staple Brit pop/rock band and the most recent record, A Different Kind Of Fix, is collection quite different to its predecessors. It’s perhaps less angry, more polished, but still carries the raw breed of sound I used to get from early Death Cab For Cutie with a little of the lush rock that characterised the Smashing Pumpkins’ earlier work – you remember, when they were good.

Anyway, I’m rambling. I saw Bombay Bicycle Club recently on their first trip to Australia, where they were touring with the mighty and magnificent Elbow. They held their own, and then some, and cracked me wide open when they blew the first single from A Different Kind Of Fix, Shuffle, from the house PA at the Hordern Pavilion. So here it is, live if a little less energy fuelled, from the BBC Studios, an apt place given the broadcaster’s matching acronym. It’s got a ripping bassline, and Suren de Saram excels as always. Enjoy it.

Song of the day – The Birds

I went to see Elbow a few weeks ago and had the time of my life. This magical band from Bury, near Manchester in England is close to my heart, having followed them for a number of years from hard-working nobodies to now stadium-filling gods. They’ve been a band for 20 years, and I reckon I’ve been on their band wagon for at 15 of those.

They opened the show at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre with this track, the opener from their latest record, Build A Rocket Boys. It was an epic start to a show that captivated me from start to finish. This was my third viewing of them, and by far the best. This clip is from a show on their home turf at Manchester’s MEN Arena, and while it doesn’t do it justice to what I experienced, it gives you some idea of what a polished act they now are. Such a privilege to see them play and I can’t wait for more.

WTF happened to Coldplay

I remember the first time I heard Coldplay‘s music. It was late 1999 (I think). I picked up a copy of an EP called The Blue Room, which featured five tracks on it. I would later discover that this was the band’s first release under the Parlophone label that they’d recently signed with.

Coldplay, wondering why they don't think their music sounds shit when every one else does.

I thought it was magnificent at the time – still do actually. It was such a unique sound, and Chris Martin’s vocals were like nothing I’d ever heard. Soon after that came Parachutes, the band’s debut album. I got it before it was released. I was so excited by their sound. I loved every track, one of which, Don’t Panic, appeared in a different form on the EP.

Fast forward a decade or so, and I’m lost for words again about Coldplay’s latest release. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Again, it’s a unique sound, like nothing I’ve ever heard.

Trouble is, it’s uniquely shit.

Colpdplay was one of those band’s I thought I’d like forever, like Death Cab For Cutie, or Elbow, or Sigur Ros. But every time they’ve released a record, it’s been short of the one before. A Rush Of Blood To The Head, their second album, was OK. The Scientist is a beautiful song, and I always liked Warning Sign too. There were other good tracks on there, but none with the quality of the Parachutes tracks.

The production was up-scaled on A Rush Of Blood To The Head somewhat, in my view to the band’s detriment, and that trend continued into X&Y, which again only had a couple of tracks on it I liked. Then there was Vida La Vida, an odd title for an equally odd record. Upon listening to opening track Life In Technicolour, I remember thinking: “Oh, OK. We’re back on track here. This is good.” But then every other track failed to inspire me. By the end of the album, they’d lost me. I couldn’t take it anymore.

The sad thing is that’s made me listen to the older stuff less. I cranked Shiver from Parachutes as I was writing this and thought: “Wow. That’s a fucking great song.” It’s simple. There is nothing complicated about it, but it’s just a great song. Structurally sound, lyrically interesting – just good all over.

And now, in mid-2011, they deliver Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall to our ears. A lot has already been written about this track, but very little of it good. Many have said it sounds like a 90s disco track. I can’t disagree. The first thing that came into my head when I heard it was the Mardi Gras gay, lesbian and bisexual parade that happens every year here in Sydney. Believe me, that’s not a good endorsement. It’s just bog-standard awful. Have a listen, if you dare, and then read on.

My girlfriend said to me what’s happened to Coldplay is like someone who takes a great photograph, and then touches it up so much with Photoshop that it ends up looking completely weird and shit. She’s so right. Coldplay no longer represents the band I loved so much all those years ago.

So what went wrong? It’s like they’ve had their song put through some sort of weird-ass pop machine by the record company executives at Parlophone in the hope that millions of dollars a spat out of the other end. Stadium rock just isn’t their bag. I wish they’d wake up and realise that, but while the money keeps rolling in, it’s unlikely that will happen.

It’s sad. Perhaps the track’s title – teardrops and waterfalls – is some sort of metaphor for what any fans that remain are going through as they hear this new track. One thing is certain – I won’t be going to see them live again until they find a cure for their sickness. It’s just not worth it anymore.

Postscript: Seems I’m not the only person thinking this way. here’s a fun post from popbitch on the possible inspirations for this track.