With little fanfare, Coldplay have released a new single, Midnight.
The song was announced on Facebook and Twitter: “Something new at 0:00 in Ulaanbaatar #midnight.” Ulan Bator is the capital city of Mongolia, so midnight their time was 11 a.m. EST.
The keyboard-laden Radiohead-esque sounds are matched by X-ray visuals that show the British band in a black and white forest setting, with frontman Chris Martin dancing around in a trance. “Leave the light on,” his repeats through processed vocals that dissipate into a blur of synths.
Coldplay have not released info about an upcoming album or tour, but they are scheduled to play South by Southwest next month. The quartet’s last album, Mylo Xyloto, was released in 2011.
Midnight sounds a bit dark, but that’s in keeping with the band’s game plan. “Ultimately our records are neither optimistic nor pessimistic, they’re realistic,” bassist Guy Berryman told me in a 2005 interview. I’d say from the sounds of it, that about sums up the new track.
