The Comenian

Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: Arts & Culture

Snow Patrol, having become established with the release of their fourth album "Eyes Open," was forced to wait before recording "A Hundred Million Suns" due to setbacks.

A series that began with lead singer Gary Lightbody's vocalcord polyps, sometimes known as a tumor or growth on the vocalcord, also included a drug related arrest and an incident involving homeland security stopping their U.S. tour.

Hansa Studio, the studio in which "A Hundred Million Suns" was recorded, was the ground from which Bowie/Eno and many others started. It seems as though the group was hoping for such luck to wear off on them.

I believe it has as "A Hundred Million Suns" acts as a window for the listener to view into Lightbody's mind and his emotions as he tries to break-away from past issues.

A song like "Crack the Shutters" is a perfect example of this, as it shows the singer in a special moment: "happy lost in your hair/ and the cold side of the pillow." The track "Set Down Your Glass" finds the singer incapable of maintaining the proximity to his beloved one ("You sing and I'm killed/ I'm just not the same"), while other tracks such as "The Golden Floor" use sound to represent the pulse of both the singer's heart and exploration of the romantic world.

Even with appealing tracks like these, the album still suffers in spots.

Take the track, "Please Just Take These Photos from My Hands." This song tells the story of an individual who is packing their house to move away. While packing, they find a photo album that fills the individual with memories of regret, 'one gigantic fairy tale of friends I haven't seen in years, drinking 'til the daylight hurts.'

This ends quickly though, as the album moves to "The Planets Bend between Us."
The album concludes with the 16-minute, three-part story entitled "The Lightening Strike." The story features a mix of themes and ideas, including old photos, planets, engines, ancient history, meteorology, love, and an interesting use of the Discovery channel as a guide through it all.

Musically, Snow Patrol has evolved and attempted to expand on their style. The least intriguing of these attempts would be the song "The Golden Floor" with its boring two-step rhythms.

On the other hand, the band succeeds in their attempt with "If There's A Rocket, Tie Me to It," another romance fueled pulse, and the lengthy "The Lightning Strike," which incorporates interesting minimalistic techniques and guitar work that may feel unrivaled.

The issue that comes to mind is that Snow Patrol features the same sounds as its only competition - Coldplay. Yet this album allows this to be tolerated as you are lulled into the world they create.


Best of the album: 'If there's a Rocket, Tie Me to It,' 'Please Just Take These Photos From My Hands' and 'Crack the Shutters'

Rating: 3 out of 5 - Not fantastic, yet if you are a fan of theirs, this release will not disappoint you.

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