After selling 11 million copies of their previous albums, the Irish/Scottish troupe Snow Patrol knew it was time to search for something different for their sixth studio recording.
So singer Gary Lightbody, guitarist Nathan Connolly, bassist Paul Wilson, drummer Jonny Quinn and keyboardist, Tom Simpson went out to the hallowed terrain of Joshua Tree National Park in California and started a west coast journey that got them plenty inspired along the way.
During the process R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, singer Lissie and Queens of the Stone Age guitarist, Troy Van Leeuwen all stopped by to add small elements to the album, but it was the basic quintet that emerged with a set that can trace its influences to several different recordings. Fellow Joshua Tree aficionados U2, and particularly their “Achtung Baby” album was a source as were discs as disparate as Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs,” and LCD Soundsystem’s “The Sound of Silver.”
A smart mix of acoustic and electronic textures it is driven by the title track, as well as “New York,” and “Lifening” the latter an intriguingly titled take of someone in search of the simpler things in life, like “Ireland in the World Cup, either North or South.”
The ballads unfortunately are fairly forgettable and lacking melody, however the ones that build properly, like “This Isn’t Everything You Are,” breathe with power. Similarly “The Weight of Love,” starts quietly, takes on a potent kick drum, Lightbody’s slip-sliding falsetto, the full band and a huge chorus buoyed by female vocals.
While Snow Patrol slip on occasion – as in the pulsating buzz of “I’ll Never Let Go,” more often than not they hit the target straight on. Ultimately they beat the biggest challenge of all, which is still sounding fresh after all these years.
Songs to download: “Fallen Empires” “The Weight of Love.”
Rating Scale: One Star (poor) to Five Stars (a classic).