Coldplay release new song Midnight and preview sixth album sound

There seems to be a current trend for releasing new material without any prior warning  and Coldplay have followed suit with the release of new track Midnight, imaginatively released 24^th February 2014 at midnight, Ulaanbaatar time.

The sound marks a definite change of musical direction from the sonic and arena-filling 2011 album Mylo Xyloto, gone is the rainbow of sound and in is slow-paced, sophisticated, brooding atmospherics. The minimalist sound and vocoder vocals have already gained comparisons with Bon Iver, Radiohead and Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek; it also started speculation over the producer, there is something very Eno about the sound! This comes as a surprise after recent rumours of Paul Epworth taking the producer’s reins for the forthcoming record.

The new track is accompanied by a video directed by Mary Wigmore, who previously directed the promo for The Hardest Part and is godmother to Martin’s daughter Apple. The video, not dissimilar in style to Radiohead promos, features the band meandering around a forest in inverted black and white with some foxes. Could this be a taster for a forthcoming album or a standalone track? Whatever the answer this song has certainly got the fans and haters talking.

Helen Sadler

Watch the video for Midnight here: