6 - Coldplay – “Cemeteries of London”

Described by the band as “our attempt at a Smiths song”. There's possibly something in that. Indirectly referencing a period of witch trials that had fascinated Chris Martin, “Cemeteries of London” wheels in reverb and distortion, echo and depth coating Johnny Buckland's guitar as it cuts through vocals and chorus alike. It's a very timeless sound, stalking ghostlike through the full duration of the track.

The song's folky elements have also been remarked on by listeners, the “La la la, la la la, hey!” of the chorus bringing to mind dying traditions of English song and dance, very in keeping with the lyrical theme of both the track and the album. Furthermore, “Cemeteries of London” dallies once again with the flamenco influences the band brought to the studio from their tour of South America in 2007, Will Champion telling reporters that the clapping of the dancers there was “incredible when you hear it done properly”. The, according to Champion, “very crude and English version” of the handclaps compliment his irregular drumming very well, and it makes the track seem very off kilter and adventurous for a band of Coldplay's scale.