Coldplay is Back with new single "Midnight"

Hey, it looks like Coldplay is back in action after taking somewhat of a hiatus to perfect their beard and wasitcoast symmetry... or you know, write new music. It also seems like while they were away they were listening to a lot of Bon Iver as Coldplay's new single and video “Midnight” features similarly moody and ethereal motifs. The video is directed by actress Mary Wigmore, who also directed the band’s video for “The Hardest Part.” She’s also the godmother to Apple, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter. So you know, they kept it all in the family with this secret release.

The video is altogether a bit of a mind melt. There’s lots of night-vision-looking shots of the band wandering and dancing in the woods. There’s also a mysterious wolf, which at times, sort of looks like one of those digital animations you see on a late night infomercial that ask, “Have you always wanted to be an artist?” It certainly evokes the title of the track as well as the late 90s horror phenomenon The Blair Witch Project.

Truth be told, "Midnight" kind of a snooze-fest. But I suppose after Beyonce dropped her now infamous secret visual album, any sort of “secret” release will just sort of pale in comparison. However, Coldplay have created some visually stunning pieces in the past like “Viva La Vida.” And when they broke on to the scene with the simplistic take for “Yellow,” they let the song take center stage while still creating something wholly memorable.

I’m still trying to find what’s most gripping about the “Midnight” video. Is it the shoulder dancing and hand gestures that just look like every dude on the lawn in a Phish concert? Or what about the time lapse of a seemingly anywhere city in the background? What they’ve created is more suited for visual accompaniment at a live show rather than a stand-alone piece of art. But hey, it’s a secret video for a still-in-question upcoming album. “Midnight” could very well be a piece of a larger puzzle.

Let’s just hope it’s not a subliminal piece of advertising for some new diet fad by Gwyneth Paltrow about eating sticks or whatever falls on the forest floor.

Take a look: