Coldplay

No matter what you think of Coldplay, they can't be accused of phoning it in. Despite having a distinctive sound, the band have actually given each and every one of their records its own personality. That continues on album number five, Mylo Xyloto, which could easily be described as their poppiest release yet. After the earnestness of Viva la Vida, the lighter tone here comes as a bit of a relief. Not only are the songs more immediate, there is also some playfulness rearing its head, in the form of the wailing, Big Country-like bagpipe guitars and even an appearance by Rihanna. This is an album made for mass consumption, although that isn't anything new. But being Coldplay, there's also way too much sappiness in the slow songs and some genuinely terrible lyrics, from time to time. However, most people will happily overlook these flaws and embrace this as the crowd-pleaser it was intended to be.