For all their yearning ballads and poetic imagery, it turns out that Coldplay just wants to dance.
Chris Martin and co. travel to a colorful U.K. rave in their latest video, for the new single “Charlie Brown,” although the music itself is very un-rave like.
“Charlie” is as Coldplay as it gets: Soaring melodies powered by a catchy circular riff meshing jangly guitars and high-pitched keyboards give way to Martin’s sexy croon, as he sings about going out at night to get his freak on. It also includes a lyric that wouldn’t sound out-of-place in a Craig Finn song: “Took a car downtown/where the lost boys meet/took a car downtown/and took what they offered me.” Things slow down and get acoustic so the hot young couple at the center of the video can make out. Then the video explodes again — literally — as they watch fireworks and maybe vandalize a car (it’s hard to tell). It’s all a bit too silly and overly earnest, but in a very inoffensive way (like Coldplay themselves).
“Charlie Brown” can be found on the U.K. band’s latest record, “Mylo Xolato.”
Watch the video, and grade it at the top of the story.