Coldplay - 'Everglow' (Single Version)

Coldplay's eclectic A Head Full Of Dreams was full of catchy and fun songs, but scattered in between some of the poppy tracks like 'Adventure Of A Lifetime' and 'Hymn For The Weekend' were some more hardhitting tracks - such as the band's next single 'Everglow,' which they've reworked into a new stripped down single version.

Gone are the eccentricities of the album version, swelling guitars and ex-wife backing vocals et al. It was always a good song, but something about it felt a bit cluttered. The new single version takes it back to the basics, consisting of nothing more than piano and Chris Martin's vocals. The signature piano line from the song sounds gentle when it's not being shadowed by a pop drum beat and layers of sounds.

The song's rawness really gives it a whole new perspective. The emotion really comes out of it when it's stripped down like this. A Head Full Of Dreams was definitely an album meant to be outgoing and eccentric, but some songs sometimes got lost in the mood. 'Everglow' is an example of that; it's by far a more powerful song in this form. It even ends with a sweet sentiment from a Muhammed Ali speech, bringing the song to a powerful but sweet close: "So I’m going to dedicate my life to using my name and popularity to helping charities, helping people, uniting people, people bombing each other because of religious beliefs. We need somebody in the world to help us all make peace. So when I die – if there’s a heaven – I’m gonna see it."

Coldplay's eccentricities sometimes get the best of them, but when they take things down you are reminded of why they're such a big force in music. Their songwriting and emotion is always there, and surely the energy is always there to keep the song interesting for you. The band's upcoming EP Kaleidoscope is coming soon, and perhaps that'll show the cleaner side to the band in a bigger light.

Rating: 88 / 100