New album: Ghost Stories
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Atlantic/Parlophone
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
If Coldplay front man Chris Martin’s earnest wimpitude ever bothered you in the past, the new “Ghost Stories” will give you agita.
To be fair, Martin’s marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow was in the process of busting up when “Ghost Stories” was being birthed. If Coldplay had cranked out a batch of biker anthems this time around it would have been quite surprising. Still, the navel gazing that takes place on “Ghost Stories” is downright nauseating.
Like Radiohead filtered through a Hallmark card, Coldplay’s sound has morphed into sleek digital territory. Whether this shift away from traditional instrumentation is a natural progression or a marketing move is irrelevant because there are no memorable hooks, riffs or melodies in this collection.
How they perform it with a straight face is uncertain, but one of the new songs is called “A Sky Full Of Stars.” Cunning wordplay of that nature hasn’t been seen since Debbie Gibson rocked the food court at your local mall. Chris Martin is still singing with his nasal passages partially closed, so that little nose hum he perfected on “Clocks” is still in tact.
The main reason “Ghost Stories” isn’t a total washout is the brilliant, eerie “Oceans.” Somehow all the annoying things about Coldplay fall together to form a cohesive, interesting song. Although an album of these types of songs wouldn’t make the mansion payments, Martin proves on “Oceans” that he is capable of a decent vocal melody that didn’t fall out of Bono’s back pocket.
For better or worse, Coldplay is going to be around for a while. If you’re still curious, just download “Oceans” and skip the rest.
Classic album: Cure For Pain
Artist: Morphine
Label: Rykodisc
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Boston-based trio Morphine avoided the sophomore with “Cure For Pain,” a near-perfect continuation of their debut album “Good.”
What set Morphine apart is the absence of electric guitar. With rudimentary drums, saxophone and lead singer Mark Sandman’s two-string slide bass playing, Morphine had one of the most original sounds in the history of rock bands. Coupled with Sandman’s film noir-ish vocals, Morphine were the audio equivalent of a Robert Mitchum detective movie.
Mass audiences would have heard Morphine’s music on TV shows such as “Homicide” or films such as “Get Shorty,” but Morphine’s greatest portal to the record buying public was college radio. “Cure For Pain” was at or near the top of many “best of” lists in 1993, and unlike most music that garnered attention that year it sounds as timeless as the wind through the trees.
Sandman’s lurching bass goads “Buena” along in an almost hip-hop fashion, with Dana Colley’s saxophone blasting through like cold water on a hot beach. “Candy” and “Thursday” were two of Sandman’s best boy-meets-girl songs, albeit from different ends of the emotional spectrum. “In Spite Of Me” mixes in some beautiful mandolin work along with a nearly spoken-word vocal from Sandman.
Thankfull, Morphine were immune to the gimmicky production techniques of the day and their music will remain forever timeless. “Cure For Pain” is a great jumping in point for anyone looking for something unique to listen to.
Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Tuesday and Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com. Purchase Jon’s new book “Counterfeit Sauerkraut & The Weekend Teeth” at the Free Press office or www.jondawson.com.