Rating : 3.5/5

Three years after Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay have returned with their sixth studio album, Ghost Stories, was released on 16 May this year. This album brings out the trippy side of the band, and is pretty different from what the long-time fans have been expecting.
Ghost Stories features nine songs, which together and separately reflect on Chris Martin's recent “conscious uncoupling” with Gwyneth Paltrow – a story of the ghosts of their marriage. The consolatory lyrics and tunes that almost all the songs consist of appear to be Martin's attempt at being hopeful, which is not unfamiliar to Coldplay's listeners.
“Always in My Head” is the ethereal opening track that goes directly to the tumultuous emotional state of the narrator, while the guitars and bassline give it the feeling of a lonesome man's plucking at a long-lost happy memory. “Magic” continues in that feel, but may seem a little disoriented – although I believe that was intended. “Ink”, on the other hand, has to be one of the best songs of the album, which follows a much more uplifting tune, with Martin's signature woohoo-ing falsetto rendering it a much happier song than it probably was meant to be.
“Midnight”, another single from the album, starts slow but picks up the pace and reaches a slow and trippy electronic climax, thanks to Jon Hopkins. Similarly “A Sky Full of Stars”, a much more consolatory song lyrically, was taken to new heights by electronic contribution from Avicii, who even co-wrote the song. To me, this was where the album was at its peak, as it might be the only song in the album that can make you groove properly. Yet, Timbaland couldn't do much to “True Love”, which had a very Viva la Vida vibe to it.
“Another's Arms” consists of vocal samples of Jane Weaver's “Silver Chord". But by its own merits, “Another's Arms” is a beautiful song that's brimming with nostalgia and the envy you feel when your beloved is all cozying up to someone else. “Oceans” and “O” remind me of Coldplay's older heart-broken hits, like Yellow, although admittedly the sound is far different.
I listened to the Deluxe Edition of the album, which contains three additional tracks. Though the two other tracks were nothing remarkable, the song “Ghost Story” itself was one musically mature soft rock number with self-demeaning yet optimistic lyrics and a killer guitar solo. While I'm disappointed that this song didn't make the final cut, I understand that it wouldn't gel well with the rest of the nine tracks, thus justifying its exclusion.
The electronica influence of Ghost Stories suggests that Coldplay is embarking upon a different musical route. Now, people have reacted to this album differently. In a conversation with some friends, I found that some old Coldplay fans despised it altogether, while others embraced the different sound with differing favorite tracks. I'd say that the album had an overall soothing effect on me, but it's an album that gets old only after a few listens. Give this album a go, and see whether you like it too.
 
Listen if you want to like Radiohead but can't because Thom Yorke is too
annoying.