Snow Patrol is an Irish/Scottish rock band that formed all the way back in 1993. This is their seventh studio album and their first since 2011’s “Fallen Empires.” Now, if you happen to reside in the United Kingdom, you’re probably far more familiar with this band than we Americans are, but here in America, we’ve definitely heard of Snow Patrol because of their iconic (and pretty damn fantastic) song “Chasing Cars,” a very beautiful and pure song about forgetting the world with the one person that you love. The song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 2006 and reached the Year-End Hot 100 twice (#29 in 2006 and #61 in 2007), and it has also gone 5x Platinum in the US. While they haven’t had a mega-hit like that here in America since, they have crossed over to the Hot 100 a couple times with songs like “Set the Fire to the Third Bar,” “Signal Fire,” and “Called Out in the Dark.”
Now, I wasn’t initially sure if I was gonna cover this album, but as someone that absolutely loves “Chasing Cars,” I will say that curiosity got the best of me. Not only that, but my personal favorite artist Ed Sheeran was advocating for the album on his Instagram, and he is also gonna have Snow Patrol opening for him on his upcoming arena tour here in America. Considering that I am planning to see him when he comes to my city in September, I further thought that it would be a good idea to give this album a listen so that I potentially have something to sing other than “Chasing Cars” when they open for him. So, let’s do it:
(DISCLAIMER: While I usually review “Deluxe Editions” of albums, I will not be reviewing the “alternate versions” of the songs on this record. Just the standard 10 tracks. The standard version is not on Spotify, only the Deluxe Edition, but because the bonus tracks are just alternate versions of five of the songs on here, I don’t really see much point in reviewing them. I’m sorry to anyone that wanted to hear my thoughts on them.)
Life on Earth: Kicking things off, we have a downtempo, acoustic guitar-driven song that introduces the album’s concept of “wildness.” I like the lighter feel of the verses, and the more pounding feel on the hook adds some nice variance, but all in all, I don’t really find this song to be terribly exciting. I feel like there isn’t too much to it that I haven’t heard before, and it doesn’t really have much charm or fun factor to really make up for that. It’s competently put together, but just nothing worth writing home about.
Don’t Give In: Lead singer/songwriter of Snow Patrol, Gary Lightbody, has considered this song a “self-fulfilling prophecy” as it discusses his struggles with depression and also his struggles to get this album out (the group worked for 5 years on it). I definitely dig the concept, and the faster-paced but still light guitar melody is plenty fun. I’m not super crazy about the beat on this one, especially on the verse as it makes some things feel a bit unfocused for me, but I do think Gary comes through with some nice vocals on this track. Not something I’ll come back to again and again, but it’s pretty decent overall.
Heal Me: A much brighter song, this one has Gary asking someone that he loves to “heal him” and help him figure out the weird things going on in his head. I really like the feel of this one, it’s very head-noddy, it’s got a pretty vibrant instrumental lead by a pretty guitar melody, some very nice vocals from Gary, and a really memorable hook. It’s definitely a pretty fun track, and I can see it getting some repeat listens out of me in the future.
Empress: A track that discusses how we’re all just people in the end, this one keeps things pretty uptempo and pounding, and it also feels very bright and vibrant, especially compared to the more mellow songs that start the album. I love Gary’s vocals on this song, especially on the pre-chorus, and the track as a whole has a lovely vibe to it. I’m not really all that into the hook, but once again, I like the vibe, and I think the song might grow on me in the future.
A Dark Switch: Here, Gary talks about how unafraid he is, and how someone brought him a storm that he actually liked. This one is very different from a lot of the other songs on the album, with a somewhat more dance-y, groovy feel than the earlier tracks. Once again, I love Gary’s vocals, and the upbeat feel of the song is very nice, but honestly, nothing about the song really sticks out to me. It’s certainly not a bad song, but it just doesn’t really feel all that memorable, and it sounds like too many songs I’ve heard before.
What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get?: Moving away from the more vibrant and upbeat songs on here, this one is a light, piano ballad about love. I do like the stripped-back feel of it, as it’s just Gary singing over the piano, and as he’s done throughout the rest of the album, he brings the goods vocally. I think he really carries some emotional weight in his performance, and while this ballad won’t go down in history like “Chasing Cars” has, it’s a very pretty, delicate song all its own.
A Youth Written In Fire: A track that seems to be about young love and nostalgia, things are more upbeat here, with a punchier drum beat and another bright, guitar-driven melody. I don’t find Gary’s vocals all that distinct on this one, though, and I definitely am not all too enthralled by the hook on this track. I don’t think it’s really an “in one ear and out the other kind of song,” but again, I don’t really think there’s much here that’s really grabbing me and demanding my attention. It’s not terrible, it’s just not special either.
Soon: A song that I interpret as being about growing old since Gary talks about how one day he and his father (be it a figurative or literal father) won’t remember anything, this is another slightly stripped-back song. Gary’s vocals are front and center, and the only real instrumentals at the start are some rather light keys. It does get a bit bigger later on, but it once again doesn’t really leave much of an impression honestly. I also think the track is just a bit too “empty-spacey,” and unfortunately, that empty space is again nothing all that memorable. Definitely one of my least favorites on the album, and honestly, I think the most memorable thing about it is that it’s 4:20.
Wild Horses: This one talks about how someone close to Gary is “holding back” their wildness. It takes things back to the upbeat feel, with a somewhat rocking guitar melody and a more snappy beat. Gary’s vocals do sound nice, and the hook has a very bright, very fun feel to it, but once again, there’s nothing all that memorable about the song as a whole that makes me want to come back. It’s not bad whatsoever, and it’s also not the worst that this album has to offer, but it’s just nothing overly special.
Life And Death: Finishing things off, Gary once again talks about love while tying things back into the album’s theme of wildness. The instrumental behind the song is rather light and stripped-back, led primarily by some spacey guitar strums and a really lowkey drum beat. Once again, I do think Gary’s vocals are nice and said stripped-back feel does work here, but the problem is that I feel like I’ve heard this kind of song before, and I don’t even really listen to this kind of music a lot. Hell, it wasn’t even that long ago that I listened to and reviewed U2’s “Songs of Experience” and I feel like I’m just listening to another version of it with this record. No, this song isn’t bad, it’s just not that special, and while it makes sense to end on this song from a lyrical perspective, I think “What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get?” should’ve been the finisher, honestly.
Overall, I unfortunately don’t really love this album. It’s certainly not bad, and I think quite a bit of it is competently put together, but the unfortunate problem here is that nothing about it really stands out all that much. It’s nice on the ears and it’s pretty relaxed, but it’s just not distinct. And as I’ve said before, I’m fine if something sounds “same-y” if there’s some kind of charm that makes it memorable. That’s not really on display here, and none of the songs really have that unexplainable “something” that makes them worth immortalizing in the group’s legacy. If you’re a huge fan of Snow Patrol, I’m sure you’re gonna love it, but for me, it doesn’t look like I’ll do much singing along when they open for Ed Sheeran (other than “Chasing Cars,” of course). Is it impressive that they’ve returned after 7 years? Most definitely. Am I happy that they were able to put this record out after 5 years of working on it? Well, yeah, that’s certainly commendable on their end. Is it a worthwhile record? Eh, could’ve been better, could’ve been worse. Will the songs from this have the staying power of “Chasing Cars?” Unfortunately, no.
Favorite tracks: Heal Me, What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get?
Least favorite tracks: A Youth Written In Fire, Soon
Rating: Okay
No comments:
Post a Comment