Snow Patrol - Eyes Open

Is Snow Patrol ready to rule the world? Fans and critics alike have wondered since the band released their stellar album, Final Straw, in 2004. Garnering significant airplay and earning the band a slot opening for U2, Final Straw proved a watershed moment in the group’s career and thrust the often unfair spotlight of increased expectations on their latest project, Eyes Open. Some early projections suggested the band had gone the way of the buffalo, moving so far into radio-friendly territory that the subtle edginess of Final Straw had been replaced by the AOR sounds of bands like Goo Goo Dolls and Train. While these reports are gross exaggerations, the band hasn’t made the immense leap to greatness some had predicted either. Eyes Open probably won’t win Snow Patrol a horde of new devotees; it is a simply a quality album by a quality band that continues to exhibit a great deal of promise. Eyes Open commences with two tracks that, on their own, could have proved the naysayers right. “You’re All I Have” and “Hands Open” sound trite and overeager in comparison to the string of melodic gems that follow suit. “Crashing Cars” is the first great track on the album, its equivalent to Final Straw’s “Run”; a gradually swelling ballad with a soaring melody and great deal of heart. Tracks like “Shut Your Eyes”, “Beginning to Get to Me” and “Make This Go on Forever” demonstrate the band’s ability to successfully alter the Brit-rock formula and make a push towards more experimental ground. Additional standouts include “Set the Fire to the Third Bar,” which benefits from an impish Martha Wainwright vocal turn, and ambient album closer “Finish Line.” While Eyes Open may not accomplish world domination, it contains a number of songs that prove worthy additions to the band’s already laudable canon of striking, transparent anthems. They may not be revolutionaries (yet) but the bleak landscape of modern rock is better for the presence of bands like Snow Patrol. [www.snowpatrol.com]