Release Date: January 10, 2012
Snow Patrol’s Britpop style lies somewhere between Keane and Coldplay. It’s worked well for them so far. They’ve been together for 17 years, and while it might be a stretch to call the band an empire, its latest, Fallen Empires, takes sort of a fall.
The album doesn’t do itself any favors when it starts with the two most misplaced, unnatural songs right off the bat. “I’ll Never Let Go” and “Called Out in the Dark” both fuse Britpop with dance in a way that is more uncomfortable than innovative; the additional waves of synth distract from, rather than enhance, the group’s style. Particularly awkward is “Called Out in the Dark,” where the message is supposed to be motivational or gut-wrenching, but it ends up just feeling overblown. Gary Lightbody’s overpowering vocals can work if used correctly, but here his attempt at being “heavy” or “deep” just doesn’t fit in with the pumping synths. The song takes itself a little too seriously for what is essentially just a dance track.
Luckily, after those first few missteps, the album gradually becomes more organic, replacing the heavy bass synths and the constant wall of sound from the earlier songs with acoustic guitars and some contemplative, sparsely decorated moments. This style pays off for the band much better as it fits the serious tone the members are trying to reach with their lyrics.
Still, while the songs start to feel much more natural, the emotion and drama of the album continue to be just a little too phoned-in or forced. Cheesy, “epic” choirs frequently interrupt songs that were better off when they were understated and deeply personal instead of grandiose.
Also problematic are the vocals, which are always given precedence over everything else—a shame because often, the instrumentation can be really powerful and dynamic. A great example of vocal overshadowing is in “The Weight of Love,” where the guitars are actually playing a fast, catchy riff, but they are pushed so far into the back that it’s difficult to appreciate them. If Snow Patrol could figure out how to better play up its strengths, it would become a force to be reckoned with. But on this album, members just end up fumbling around.
That isn’t to say everything on the album is a waste, as there are a few worthwhile songs. “This Isn’t Everything You Are” succeeds where others have failed—it still revels in drama like the other songs, but with a slower pace, darker vocals and lack of dance synths, the song resonates with listeners a little more. It’s still undeniably cheesy, but it also manages to capture some earnest emotion that other songs are missing out on.
Snow Patrol is a capable band that can produce quality music, but something just doesn’t click on Fallen Empires. The band needs to learn when to dial it back a notch. As it is now, the music is always just slightly too dramatic, too overblown and too confused for the band to be a serious contender.
Snow Patrol – Fallen Empires tracklist:
- “I’ll Never Let Go”
- “Called Out in the Dark”
- “The Weight of Love”
- “This Isn’t Everything You Are”
- “The Garden Rules”
- “Fallen Empires”
- “Berlin”
- “Lifening”
- “New York”
- “In the End”
- “Those Distant Bells”
- “The Symphony”
- “The President”
- “Broken Bells Form a Star (Prelude)”
