Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto is still more than a month away (it'll hit stores on October 25), which means there's still plenty of time to tinker with the songs that'll make the final cut ... and from the sound of things, that's exactly what Chris Martin and Co. are doing as they gear up for a string of U.S. shows.
At least according to their always didactic "Roadie #42," who penned a lengthy blog on Coldplay's official site detailing the progression of a pair of new songs, "Up in Flames" and something called "DLIBYH" (which the folks at WikiColdplay say is likely an acronym for "Don't Let It Break Your Heart.")
"I remember that this phase of things on [2005's] X&Y is when I first heard 'Fix You' ... even on a first listen, the degree to which people would take it to their hearts was completely obvious," Roadie #42 wrote. " 'Up in Flames' feels the same to me right now. It's immense. I first heard it when the guys were sound-checking at [July's] iTunes show. Apparently, Chris had started the song the previous night, so it was less than 24 hours old at that point. It was hypnotic in its simplicity, but devastatingly, achingly gorgeous.
"The final version has lost none of this and is a masterwork of restraint," he continued. "It hasn't been crammed with a million ideas and embellishments. Every part is there simply to enhance the emotional impact. I can only predict floods of tears in every quarter."
Floods of tears! Of course, according to #42, "DLIBYH" is shaping up to conjure emotions of a different sort:
" 'DLIBYH' couldn't possibly be heading in any more different a direction emotionally. It's almost violently life affirming," he wrote. "I remember texting Phil during the Glastonbury rehearsals when they first played 'Charlie Brown' in its live incarnation. I was amazed at how vast and invigorating it sounded. They're going to blow the sodding walls out when they kick into this one tomorrow."
Thursday, of course, is when Coldplay are scheduled to begin rehearsals for a handful of shows leading up to the release of Mylo Xyloto. They'll headline the Austin City Limits festival on September 16, hit the iHeart Radio Fest in Las Vegas and Atlanta's Music Midtown before heading to Brazil and South Africa for a handful of massive shows. Last month, they thrilled audiences at Lollapalooza with a preview of new songs like "MX" and "Hurts Like Heaven."