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Snow Patrol Eyes Open
A&M
If Coldplay wanted to be the next U2, then Snow Patrol would just love to be the next Coldplay. And, to give them credit, they do a decent job. But then again, the Coldplay recipe isn’t exactly almond-infused soufflé – think of it more as apple pie; it’s pretty tough to mess up. Just add some sincere lyrics, choruses as big as the Armada, a certain emotive moodiness, and you’re set.
Track listing:
01 You're All I Have
02 Hands Open
03 Chasing Cars
04 Shut Your Eyes
05 It's Beginning To Get To Me
06 You Could Be Happy
07 Make This Go On Forever
08 Set The Fire To The Third Bar
09 Headlights On Dark Roads
10 Open Your Eyes
11 The Finish Line
But when they’re good, they’re powerful – as grudgingly as the indie kids will have to admit it. Singer Gary Lightbody has an innate charisma in his forlorn croak of a voice, and it’s a cold man indeed who isn’t moved by the epic melodies on display in “You’re All That I Have” or “Shut Your Eyes.” And the Martha Wainwright duet “Set the Fire to the Third Bar” snakes along with a haunted, eerie mystic – the blend between Wainwright’s little-girl squeak and Lightbody’s low grumble is electrifying.
While it’s too easy to play connect-the-musical-dots (from Ian Mccullough to Editors on “Hands Open” to Bono himself on just about everything), it’s tough to ignore the sense that nothing new is being done here. At times it’s not a problem, but cases like “Chasing Cars” could put an amphetamine addict into a coma. After all, if you don’t have anything interesting to say, well, why bother with a record? Still, quite nice lads, aren’t they?
