Superbron,

after the introduction, the vocals are coming through dominated in the left channel, the piano in the right channel.

If this is your intention, then it's fine - but it sounds very unnatural when solo vocals are almost always centered.

Also, the piano in this song by Coldplay is quite softly played - it is part of the appeal of the song - light touch on the piano and vocals.

I think you are getting the notes correctly, but particularly the chords in the intro need about 50% of the velocity that they are getting right now. With the velocity levels used right now, it sounds almost as if someone is playing the song in an angry mood - at least on the chords. Try to record it without quantizing it - that will help as well. Perhaps a less pure piano sound would help.

On the singing - take note of how Chris Martin slurs his notes. Specifically, think of when he sings 'a spider web is tangled up with me' on one of the verses. The 'with' in particular is slowly slurred from a low note to higher note then back down. Same thing with 'me' in that line.

You've concentrated on hitting the correct notes and done a proper job of that, but think about it being more like a casual conversation. Chris Martin is not a terrific singer, but his vocals are comforting and loose - like a favorite old sweater. This is hard to accomplish when one has to use their falsetto - which just about anyone with testosterone flowing through their veins has to do with this song. Chris is slurring notes all over, singing so softly that many times his voice cracks gently in the middle of works, etc. Also note that the volume of his voice modulates from quiet to loud to quiet in the same word - particularly pay attention to the last syllable to 'trouble' in the choruses and you'll hear what I'm talking about.

Many musicians make fun of Coldplay (I've done so in the past), but the fact is that their songs have this comforting feeling - even when the lyrical content is sad and morose. The number of bands trying to copy their sound is evidence enough that the Coldplay formula works.

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