Sunny and subtle

Although their popularity has increased dramatically with their previous two releases Final Straw and Eyes Open, A Hundred Million Suns should make them even more accessible to audiences worldwide. It is safe to say that they are easily on the same playing field as Coldplay and etching closer to the poppier Radiohead tracks.  

On each release, Snow Patrol never stray too far from their smooth and catchy base sound, but still manage to give each album its own feel.

A Hundred Million Suns is the perfect title for this album. It’s riddled with acoustic nothings, piano melodies and sonic build-ups. To say the least, it’s a great, more subtle release.

I am a big fan of Snow Patrol’s pop anthems, and here they have switched it up a bit. The songs are presented with more acoustic sounds that deliver a darker and mysterious feel.

One song that recalls the Final Straw days would be “If There’s A Rocket Tie Me To It,” the best track on the album. At times on this track they sound so much like Radiohead it’s scary, but the pre-chorus and the chorus still scream typical Snow Patrol as vocalist Gary Lightbody croons “A fire a fire, you can only take what you can carry.”

“Set Down Your Glass” represents A Hundred Million Suns the best. This track shows the listener the direction the band wanted to go with this album. It’s a bit weird, with a slow movement that sounds like it was originally forged in a fast paced, electric environment.  

If you have not gotten into Snow Patrol yet, I’m afraid it’s too late. But if you are familiar with the band’s previous work, you will recognize the slightly different and acoustic sounds here and welcome them with open arms.