Ring Reviews: Snow Patrol’s New Album

By Julian Ring

“Chasing Cars” was the last I’d heard from Snow Patrol. The three-chord spin cycle of a song was plastered all over the airwaves back in 2006, and to say I wasn’t a fan would be putting it lightly. The music was dumber than dumb simple. The lyrics could have been written by a third grader.

Besides a so-so cover of John Lennon’s “Isolation” a year or so later, I had heard nothing of substance from the Irish quintet, and I went into their sixth album already dreading singer Gary Lightbody’s voice. Perhaps Fallen Empires would have some qualities redeeming enough for me to at least like it, as I’ve often found happens with reviews.

Nope. I waited and waited, but none of these songs go anywhere at all. Snow Patrol gives us the same bleak structure we’ve seen time and again: a bare-bones hook with a minimalist tune that meanders aimlessly around it for four minutes.

Sticking to a formula is often a smart move for bands seeking to continue an upward sales trend. Too bad theirs is a formula I can’t stand.

Notable are the conspicuous echoes of LCD Soundsystem and Kasabian that pulsate throughout this record, particularly on the opening tracks, “I’ll Never Let You Go” and “Called Out In The Dark.”

Lightbody accents his falsetto with phasing and flanger effects, which, though not revolutionary by any means, work fine here. Drummer Jonny Quinn adheres to standard indie-rock beats on many songs, keeping it tribal on the toms before switching to a dance-like groove for the choruses.

Guitars are somewhat minimal (surprise, surprise), but there are some moments where they really shine here and there – the subtle acoustic fingerpicking
on “The Garden Rules,” for example.

Other highlights are the synths that give each song depth. Each one sounds handpicked to fit the track, and because the songs have so few elements to
them, it’s a bold move that conveys sufficient emotion. Try “The President” to see what I’m talking about.

The main issue I have with this collection – and Snow Patrol’s style as a whole – is actually its sonic minimalism. Just when a verse is building and you’re ready for a glorious, thundering chorus ... nothing. The tracks change little from beginning to end, and to me, there’s no excuse but a lack of creativity.

Most of the introductory hooks are either predictable or they’ve been done better before. I know at least three songs that sound exactly like the title track, and it’s apparent in “This Isn’t Everything You Are” that the Foo Fighters ballad “Home” has been blatantly ripped off. There is no development, no evolving of any of these songs, and that’s the simplest recipe for a yawning listener.

Every album has its moments, and Fallen Empires is no exception. When you can’t tell half the songs apart, however, you know the record has a problem. I don’t get the feeling that Snow Patrol is as ambitious as they make themselves out to be; rather, they seem content to rest on their laurels. Not a poor choice, but it makes for some pretty boring music.