Band: Snow Patrol

Album: ‘Fallen Empires’

Release Date: Jan. 10

Label: Interscope

Decibels: 3/5

Ah, the joys of alternative rock. Snow Patrol’s latest album, ‘Fallen Empires,’has everything that embodies the genre:a brooding front man in Gary Lightbody, tear-inducing lyrics and danceable beats. With ‘Fallen Empires,’the band boldly steps away from their indie influences and into the footsteps of Coldplay.

Chart toppers don’t usually hail from Northern Ireland, but since their last album nearly three years ago, the group has placed Glasgow on the map. Although they’ve found success in the past with previous hits like ‘Chasing Cars’and ‘Just Say Yes,’their latest album showcases a new sound. They pull out dulcitones, shruti boxes, melodicas and a bunch of other obscure instruments to achieve their revolutionary sound.

Don’t fret, the band doesn’t stray too far from its indie roots. There are still lyrics about longing for and losing love sung somberly in Lightbody’s heavy Irish accent, one that’s barely understandable.

A definite standout was the title track, ‘Fallen Empires.’ The entire band, not just Lightbody, chants rather than sings the lyrics. Singing creeps in over a frantic fiddle-like sound at first, followed by drums and a hard electric beat. A 30-second chant of ‘we are the light’ begins and will have you wondering just what this song was about at first listen. What is this ‘light’ they’re talking about, and where exactly do the fallen empires fit in?

Some of the album’s lyrics and titles may confuse listeners. In ‘Berlin,‘Lightbody sings ‘la, la, la’ for two minutes. Only the soft and upbeat melody saves the song, which somehow leaves the non-lyrics stuck on repeat. Then, there’s ‘Life-ning,’ which isn’t even an actual word. Thankfully, the song is explained in the soft and subtle tune that tells about the joys of life. These barely written lyrics and made up words insinuate that they’re saying something deep or genius.  However, this is all thankfully overshadowed by beautiful words in songs like ‘This Isn’t Everything You Are’ and ‘In The End.’ Both are so wonderfully sappy that fans will remember why they love the Irishmen in the first place.

The combination of interesting lyrics and even more exciting musical arrangements create a new sound for the band that is worth taking notice. What truly makes this album great is Lightbody’s soulful vocal performance on the album, especially in songs such as ‘New York’ and ‘I’ll Never Let Go.’ The front man oozes with emotion, and again, his accent doesn’t hurt the cause.

Snow Patrol is yet to be a household name, and they’ve needed something to set them apart. This new phase for the band is a step in the right direction to become noticed. Finding a distinct sound won’t just have people saying, ‘I love that song,’ but also, ‘I love that band.’

ieinyang@syr.edu

Published on January 16, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ibet: ieinyang@syr.edu