Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires

The release of Snow Patrol's sixth album, Fallen Empires, remains a natural progression in their career. It is expected of them to peek into the world of contemporary music and vary their style and approach to producing music. The nice thing about the album is the method in which it was most likely created – with the five members wallowing in a sea of ideas/inspiration to produce fourteen varied tracks.

The lead single, ‘Called Out in the Dark’ ditches the prominent guitars for a more electronic sound. Despite criticism this is not necessarily a bad move, the band creatively tweak their traditional ‘anthem ballad’ style. For fans, this may be a bit off-putting but surely it shows their imagination? With similar qualities to the band’s hit ‘Run’, ‘This Isn’t Everything You Are’ remains familiar and homely to a Snow Patrol fan. The emotional lyrics and well crafted orchestra produce a powerful melancholy ballad.

The title track acts as a sort of instrumental interval within the collection. The sparse vocals give way for the repetitive guitar strums and riffs. ‘The Symphony’ is probably the most positive and charming track of the album. A simple, almost pop-like natured sound is created with a more tuneful melody and the consistent ‘oohs’. The final track, ‘Broken Bottles From A Star’ is hard to place. There are no vocals, so it is purely instrumental which is odd for an album finale. It is most likely to act as a reflection on the whole album but it seems a shame that it ends in this way.

All in all, Snow Patrol has produced an album that shows they have creative flair and can use it effectively. However, this is not to say it necessarily works for the band. Gary Lightbody’s melancholy vocal timbre is undoubtedly the key factor to the band’s traditional sound. Despite being criticised for their downhearted style, it is this that they excel at. Surely they should stick to what they do best?

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