The best thing about Snow Patrol's ambitious fast-paced, persistently and sometimes achingly sweet new album, Eyes Open, just released, is the 8th track, "Set The Fire To To The Third Bar" which features Martha Wainwright (pictured here) on vocals.I knew Wainright, socially and professionally, when we both lived in Montreal - she performed often at some of the cabaret evenings I was organizing or performing at, under the Vox Hunt and Yawp! banners; she was always gracious and gifted.
This track captures the sort of Montreal vibe that recently got Arcade Fire noticed over here in the UK. On this track, Wainwright achieves something nearly uncanny - she manages to be both herself, and a young Kate Bush. It's a great song, and makes you want to go paint the town red immediately. She's touring this summer in the UK, so do check her out.
The British press is saying this may be Snow Patrol's breakthrough in America - they've sold well but no cigar yet. I'm not sure. It isn't as good as Coldplay's first three, but may build on their momentum. The snow conditions seem to deteriorate as the album progresses, so that tracks 9-11 are nothing more than sub-standard Ah-Hah! style Euro-pop (though Ah-Hah! is one of my guilty pleasures).
Track 3, "Chasing Cars" could be a smash hit Stateside, with the right promotion. So too track 4, "Shut Your Eyes".
The second best song on the album is the stirring (if over-long) track 7, "Make This Go On Forever" which is utterly overwrought - Gene Pitney would have done it justice, and enjoyed its ultra-emotive qualities, its torch song bravado. It actually features the protagonist clutching on to a splintered mast of a sinking ship. I think "won't save me long" rhymed with "what I did was wrong" is sublime pop.
Track 6, "You Could Be Happy" starts with a child's Jack-in-the-box playing, and, although gummy-bear over-rich is disarming by song's end.
Elsewhere, Snow Patrol melts under its usual mixed-bag of talents - their guitars edge past lean to sparse (but never past The Edge), and their lyrics can be too faux-vulnerable to believe (or else someone's dating life is truly dreadful). One sometimes muses that Snow Patrol have designs not on your dancing body, but your teen soul. Maybe that's their strength - they scheme to please, and ache to design. This is a pop craft that won't founder on its rock, just yet...
Eyewear is glad to give them 4 Specs out of a possible 5.
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