Lead singer Chris Martin’s voice is accompanied by a drum set, a piano, and subtle vocals from ex- wife and vocalist Gwen Stefani. He sings a ballad reminiscent of a pained lullaby in Coldplay’s Everglow, from their latest album, A Head Full of Dreams.

The song is structured around the word that gave it its title, and while such a notion is commendable, Coldplay could have done more to strike a chord (ha!) with the listener. The word itself is a slang term Martin stumbled upon and was inspired by. It refers to the coexistence of a sadness in reflecting upon an admirable experience.

Even the album art reflects this idea more than the song, its lyrics, or its acoustics. The ideological foundation for the song is not fully exploited; the lyrics are sweet but half-baked, and not even in a mysterious, abstract way. Lines like “I live for this feeling, it’s everglow,” and “this particular diamond was extra special” are steeped in a beige, cliché blandness. The song is desperately missing a sense of poetry or at least some substantive adjectives

After getting through the song once, it’s something the listener can get used to. It might be good for someone who’s deliberately trying to wallow in a bad mood, but it really doesn’t stimulate positive or negative emotion., both of which the word “everglow” is supposed to elicit.

But then again maybe ballads just aren’t everyone’s thing.