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Where to even begin? Well, before Kaleidoscope, I wasn't sure what to make of Coldplay anymore. The band who once seemed destined to become the new great gentleman rockers after exploding onto the scene with 2000's Parachutes started to lose me as they delved deeper and deeper into pop, seemingly in the name of greater sales, moving away from what made their debut and A Rush of Blood to the Head so great. What I love about this new EP, however, a companion piece to their most recent studio album A Head Full of Dreams, is that it's the best of both worlds: while the desire to experiment with sounds borrowed from electronic, ambient and pop music is still there, they don't stray too far from their roots, taking care not to alienate core fans.

The slow-burning opening track, 'All I Can Think About is You', could've very well been a B-cut off one of their first three albums. "Fish out of water/Bird stuck on the ground," Chris Martin croons (with the help of no small amount of echo) over twinkling dream-pop piano and sinewy guitar work. This kind of hyperbolic irony is plentiful on the EP, and Martin finds no problem comparing himself to such great historical figures as Muhammad Ali and Mahatma Gandhi on other tracks like the Big Sean-assisted 'Miracles (Someone Special)'. Quite an ego for a guy who could've once laid claim to having one of the biggest rock bands on the planet, right? But these historical heavyweights aren't name-dropped in a braggadocious manner - in fact, Martin's tone is characteristically nostalgic as he remembers the words of encouragement from his father that he could be anything he wanted to be. This has always been a large part of Coldplay's charm: despite seemingly coming from some place on high, the relatability of their songs and the positive, uplifting messages in them make them nigh-instantly likable (Plus, Martin and crew just seem like genuinely nice guys...If you don't believe me, check out the footage he recorded from the stage at a concert for a fan using her phone, including close-ups of all the band members).

Chainsmokers collaboration and Billboard Top 100 hit 'Something Just Like This' and the phenomenal closer 'Hypnotised' are also included despite already being released prior to the EP, except those of you disappointed to have to pay full price for two songs you already own will find they're different indeed. While the live Tokyo version of the former does little to really improve upon the existing studio version, the latter has been extended out with an ambient opener that makes the climax of the song all the sweeter. 'A L I E N S' is probably their most experimental cut to date (Brian Eno has a habit of bringing out that trait in the band, it seems), with sharp Spanish guitars intercut with buzzing synths that creates a feeling of oddity and other-worldliness. But it's 'Hypnotised' in particular, a terrific dream-pop song and spine-tingling ballad in the same vein as Rush of Blood's 'The Scientist' and X&Y's 'Fix You', that stands out for being perhaps a perfect representation of what this EP set out to achieve: a return to the old, but with enough of the new to still sound fresh. This is exactly the creative direction I've been hoping Coldplay would move in, and while I wouldn't exactly say they're in top form again just yet, I'd say that this is a pretty damn good start. 8/10

Choice cuts:
'Miracles (Someone Special)', 'Hypnotised', 'All I Can Think About is You'