Coldplay ready 'risky' new album

Coldplay have revealed that they are finalising the tracklisting for their new album.

The group, who recently pushed their fifth studio LP back to 2011, said they have narrowed the list to 15 songs and confirmed a number of song titles.

"We're down to 15," Chris Martin told Q Magazine. "I'm trying to make sure there are three songs that start with the same letter. On the last album it was 'L'. It might be 'U' this time.

"One of them is 'Up With The Birds'. It might be a duet, but we don't know who with yet. The other two might change."

Martin also said the songs 'Hurts Like Heaven' and 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall' are likely to feature on the record, and many of the tracks see guitarist Jonny Buckland "coming out of his cocoon".

He explained: "'Hurts Like Heaven' is all Jonny. It only has two chords. The songs are group-y, its guitar-y. Johnny is coming out of his cocoon. We're just trying some risky things.

"We're hungry and very fired up. In five years we'll be in our late 30s. You have to have your best work done by then."

The group recently announced that they are playing two gigs this Christmas in support of a homeless charity.