Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires

Snow Patrol may not as well known as U2 or Coldplay, but the British group has much in common with both bands. Like Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody is a self-effacing singer-frontman whose sensitive songs pack an emotional wallop. And like U2, with whom Lightbody’s group has toured, Snow Patrol’s anthemic pop-rock sound has the power to fill stadiums. Formed in Northern Ireland and based in Scotland, Snow Patrol has sold over 11 million albums worldwide and topped the charts with several memorable singles, including the Grammy-nominated “Chasing Cars.” Yet it’s always the perennial underdog when viewed alongside those bigger bands.

            With its sixth studio album, Fallen Empires, Snow Patrol makes its bid for pop grandeur. Songs like the opening “I’ll Never Let Go” and “Called Out in the Dark” have echoes of U2’s Achtung Baby, with swirling synths and buzzing basslines. Similarly, Lightbody’s passionate vocal delivery on the edgy title track, with its recurring “we are the light” refrain, is clearly Bono-inspired. And the soaring “In the End” bears more than a passing resemblance to a Coldplay song, especially with its falsetto chorus.

            Snow Patrol’s strength has always been its romantic ballads and, happily, Fallen Empires is full of them. “The Garden Rules” and “Those Distant Bells” are affecting, piano-filled numbers that will please fans. Heartbreak is the theme of “New York,” while soccer dreams fill “Life-ning,” in which Lightbody sings “Ireland in the World Cup, either North or South.” But the best song is the choir-drenched “This Isn’t Everything You Are,” which offers genuine hope amid despair. At the top of its game, Snow Patrol has proven it has what it takes to play in the big leagues.