Fallen, but not forgotten

brana January 22, 2012

Snow Patrol

Fallen Empires

(Universal)

In a nutshell: Snore Patrol makes things interesting again …

High notes: The more morose cuts such as the title track and ‘Those Distant Bells’ point a little back to Gary Lightbody’s fantastic work with The Reindeer Section, proving that he’s not quite sold his whole songwriting heart to American teen dramas. They are intimate, rustic tracks that sound heartfelt and not at all manufactured.

Low notes: Well, there are still many nap-worthy moments where the band retreats back to the by-the-numbers modern rock track. ‘This Isn’t Everything You Are’, with its clear guitar lines and driving melody, is about the time you should tuck into a pillow.

Verdict: Well, when Snow Patrol first burst onto the fading British rock scene in the early 2000s, they brought a bittersweet soulfulness back into the industry. Given that the world is saturated these days with bands that want to out-Coldplay Coldplay, it’s perhaps time for them to move on to other pastures. Fallen Empires still isn’t the sound of the band we used to love, but it’s a start.

 

 

 

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