Snow Patrol
Album: Fallen Empires
Label: Fiction
Tracks: 14
Website: www.snowpatrol.com

Ah, dear old Snow Patrol, the aural equivalent of steak and kidney pudding - hearty, tasty in small doses but ultimately pretty stodgy fare that leaves you longing for something a little more, well, good for you.

A bit unfair I know - and I've no doubt these are decent people doing their damnedest to keep it interesting - but you can probably see where I'm coming from. Fallen Empires has been widely touted as a bit of departure with its electro stylings, fuzzed up guitar noodles and remix-begging structures. I can see where they're coming from, they need a little something new to ring the changes, but in essence these are the big choruses, wounded pride lyrics and sterling sonic stirrings that Snow Patrol are adored for. This Isn't Everything You Are and Those Distant Bells, with its echoes of Arcade Fire, are genuinely arresting moments, worthy additions to the Snow Patrol canon.

The trouble is, other tracks like opening single Called Out In the Dark, so obviously follow the blueprint of others (U2, Coldplay) they make persevering with the album an act of professional duty (rewarded though it ultimately is) rather than any kind of pleasure.

Nick Churchill
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk