Snow Patrol: Gary Lightbody (vocals).
Following up its 2004 breakthrough album, FINAL STRAW, the Ireland-bred/Scotland-based rock band Snow Patrol opted for an even more accessible sound on EYES OPEN. Frontman Gary Lightbody has always shown a penchant for crafting pop-savvy tunes, but this 11-track set takes his songwriting to new heights, as best revealed on the energetic anthems "You're All I Have" and "Hands Open." While these songs display grandeur on the scale of U2 and Coldplay, Lightbody also knows how to ease into a tender ballad, most notably the chiming "You Could Be Happy," which features delicate Bjork-like backing. Though much of the record is upbeat, Lightbody's melancholy sensibility still comes into play on the brooding "Shut Your Eyes" and "Set Fire to the Third Bar," a haunting duet with Martha Wainwright. Longtime fans may miss Snow Patrol's indie-pop quirkiness (a la "Get Balsamic Vinegar...Quick You Fool" from SONGS FOR POLARBEARS), but in its place is a mature and assured approach that is sure to appeal to a wide audience.
What the critics say...
Rolling Stone (p.98) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "EYES OPEN is even more decadently cushy, setting chiming guitars, strings and electronics under Gary Lightbody's aching croons."
Q (p.125) - Ranked #18 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006" -- "[H]ere's where the Northern Irish five-piece left their indie roots behind and started to look like world contenders."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.108) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Snow Patrol have delivered an album big on lighter-waving anthems and arms-around-your-best-mate camaraderie."
