Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires Review
Posted by Hunter on Thu, 17 Nov 2011.
Gary Lightbody
Jonny Quinn
Nathan Connolly
Paul Wilson
Tom Simpson
It's been three since "A Hundred Mile Suns", but finally, we have the next musical installment from Alt Rockers, Snow Patrol. However, the album there was an advisory from Connolly that the band had taken a new musical direction, and had advised fans to keep an open mind. So is this radically different from the bands previous outings, and is it actually any good?
Those very questions have the critics split. The unbelievers are still referring to them as a second rate Coldplay or U2, and I thought we would have passed all that by now, especially as they are now into their sixth album, and it's not a total tangential drift in music either. Sure, they've tried out a few new ideas, but it's not going to leave their existing fans sat there looking confused asking if it's a new album by some X Factor winner.
"I'll Never Let Go", the opening track is something of restrained introduction, which is a shame because it could have been a far more raucous herald of their welcome return. Still, even though I would have liked it to have been more brash, it's still a pretty decent track, with hints of electronica, and the vocal talents of the superb Lissie thrown in too. "Called Out In the Dark" follows the restrained theme, but with the electronic sound not too dissimilar to what you would have found around in the 80's.
"The Weight Of Love" is very close to U2, a brooding track with a hooky enough chorus. It isn't until the fourth track that we encounter some sublime brilliance in the form of "This Isn't Everything You Are", with candid open lyrics, layers of instruments all working brilliantly well, choirs, horns, guitars, you name it, they've pretty much included it. It's just a beautiful anthem in waiting, wonderful wonderful song.
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When I heard Lissie was also doing some vocals on "The Garden Rules", I had high hopes for the track. I wasn't disappointed, a wonderfully delicate duet. Title track "Fallen Empires" feels like it has a purpose, that it's building up to something apocalyptical, and that's the annoyance for me personally because three minutes in, and all hell hasn't broken loose. Even more irritatingly after all the suspense has been built up the momentum is lost as the track drops some of the layers of music, to be replaced by a chorus line repeated over and over. I feel that this track was a missed opportunity.
"In The End" may be akin to compatriots U2, but again what a great track. Not ground breaking, but just a simply solid great track. Personally, those were the stand out tracks that provoked a response. Some reviewers have been overly harsh, Fallen Empires is without doubt a fair to good album, with some different approaches taken to what you might typically expect from Snow Patrol. What they're going to end up with however is an album that is going to get, rightfully so, mixed reviews, but this absolutely should not deter them from taking the next step on what they believe is the right path for them musically.