Three years on from the stadium-conquering X&Y, Coldplay are once again braving the critics and public.

Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, which is released in mid June, is the band’s fourth release, sonically guided by the production genius Brian Eno.

Here the band talk you through the album, track by track:

:: Yes
Mournful strings coil around the lowest singing register of Chris Martin’s recorded life so far, played and arranged by musician Davide Rossi (discovered when Coldplay toured with Goldfrapp).
Will Champion: “Dav is like a one-man orchestra, he plays an electric violin that has everything, from the top note of a violin to the bottom note of a cello, all that range on one thing.”
Chris Martin: “We’ve become very good at collaboration. And passing if off as our own work.”

:: Chinese Sleep Chant (hidden track)
Juggernaut guitars and what sound like a choir of Angel Gabriels, along with utterly incomprehensible lyrics.
Chris: “The lyrics aren’t Latin, no! I will say this, if you take away all the guitars, what you’re left with is quite ordinary. But Jonny will always make things less ordinary. Without him we’d be fucked. It’s true!”

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This feature - and a full interview with Coldplay - will be in the July issue of Q, on sale June 1.