Posted February 3, 200718 yr http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200/drp600/p612/p61276sondo.jpg Snow Patrol Biography by Mario Mesquita Borges Featuring a dynamic fusion of several alternative stylistic touchstones, Snow Patrol's compositions combine songwriting aptitude with guitar rock's sharpest strains. Originally from Northern Ireland, Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar) and Mark McClelland (bass, keyboards) first got together in Dundee, Scotland, where they were studying, prior to the addition of Jonny Quinn (drums), who completed the lineup. Signed to the U.K.'s Jeepster label in 1998, they released their debut album, Songs for Polar Bears, in August of that same year. The record was a large success across the U.K., where they also gained a large fan base for their live show. The British trio graduated soon after, and decided to move from Dundee to Glasgow in late 2000. Their second full-length, When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up, was released in April 2001. Quickly thereafter, guitarist Nathan Connolly was added to the group, and Snow Patrol found themselves a deal with Polydor. Producer Chris Lord-Alge signed on for the release of Final Straw, which appeared stateside in April 2004. With the success of singles such as "Chocolate," "Run," and "Spitting Games," Final Straw sold two million copies in their native U.K. It also became the 26th most popular British album of that year. In March 2005, founding member Mark McClelland left the band to pursue other avenues, leaving Snow Patrol a trio with Lightbody, Quinn, and Connolly. Shortly thereafter, former Terra Diablo bass player Paul Wilson and touring keyboardist Tom Simpson were permanantly added to the band. An opening slot on U2's Vertigo Tour of Europe followed in summer 2005. Snow Patrol's fourth album, the epic Eyes Open arrived in May 2006. That fall, with a successful run through North America under their belt and the mainstream appeal of "Chasing Cars," Eyes Open was certified gold. Snow Patrol also became the first U.K. rock act in 13 years to break the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd700/d736/d7369925lx4.jpg Songs for Polar Bears (Aug 25, 1998) 4 Stars Review by Stephen Cramer Snow Patrol's 1999 disc on Jeepster Records showcases the band's sometimes-edgy indie rock and occasionally spacy indie pop. The Edinburgh, Scotland, trio mixes tempos immediately, starting off with the crunchy "Downhill From Here" and the exuberantly poppy "Starfighter Pilot." The pace slows down quickly with the third track, the withdrawn and melancholy "The Last Show Ringing in My Ears." The borderline hip-hop beats of the fourth track, "Absolute Gravity," startle the listener, making it clear that listening to the disc is going to be a colorful ride. "Mahogany" is another acoustic-based ballad, sticking out on a disc full of non-traditional beats and chords. All of the songs highlight the band's earnest approach to songwriting. Tracks like "Velocity Girl" and "Favorite Friend" are some of the disc's catchiest and most endearing songs, calling upon a pop sensibility that's somehow different from the standard 1990s indie artists. Over-indulgent song titles like "One Hundred Things You Should Have Done in Bed" and "When You're Right You're Right (Darth Vader Bringing in His Washing Mix)" are examples of the band's unabashedly quirky approach to music. They're able to pull it off with their undeniable musicianship and musical sensibilities. On Songs for Polar Bears, Gary Lightbody appears on guitars, vocals, and keyboards, while Mark McClelland chimes in on bass and keyboards and drummer Jonny Quinn rounds out the lineup. Guest artists include Isobel Campbell, Richard Colburn, Fraser Simpson, and Tom Simpson. The album was recorded in Edinburgh, Scotland, by producer Jamie Watson.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre600/e698/e69859q4lmw.jpg When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up (Apr 24, 2001) 4 Stars Review by Stanton Swihart On its second album, Snow Patrol takes a significant leap forward in terms of artistry and vision. It was perhaps too easy to write the trio off as a sub-Belle & Sebastian combo after its debut, what with the aural similarities to that band and the fact that they were both on Jeepster. And the music here still has characteristically lush and gentle moments — and still intermittently echoes their better-known labelmates ("Batten Down the Hatch," "On/Off") — sometimes barely rising above a whisper, while the subject matter is dour and brittle as ever. Snow Patrol again dwells on bad dreams and heartbreak, regrets and one-night stands, tempering even the few rays of sunlight with wounded or downbeat thoughts. And on songs like the nightmarishly paced dirge "If I'd Found the Right Words to Say," the mood befits the content. But When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up breaks dramatically and sensationally with the cult of twee. It is not a subdued or stilted album, either musically or emotionally, which not only makes the band's melancholia palatable but also renders it substantial and genuine rather than affected. The music is still extremely tuneful, but songs such as "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again," "Last Ever Lone Gunman," and "One Night Is Not Enough" are truly guitar-driven things (occasionally with subtle electronics) that underscore a determinedness and passionate vitality often lacking in similar inclined approaches (including, sometimes, Belle). When "Black and Blue" abruptly transitions from barely there falsetto crooning to a grinding, overdriven guitar assault, it sounds like a call to arms. Rather than small and insular, the album is open, grand, and beautiful.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg400/g450/g45018unkw1.jpg Final Straw (Mar 30, 2004) 4 Stars Review by Tim DiGravina With Final Straw, Snow Patrol mainman Gary Lightbody seems to take all the inspiration he's gathered from the superstar collaborators in his Reindeer Section project and bundle it into a series of earnest bombastic rock ballads. Producer Garrett Lee deserves credit up-front for expanding the band's sound even further from the lush symphonic grandeur of When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up. Here, Lightbody and his cohorts traverse the same anthemic territory as Idlewild, with guitars cranked to the max. But where his friend Roddy Woomble of Idlewild soars all over the map vocally, Lightbody prefers the immediate and somewhat indifferent vocal style of another friend, Aidan Moffat of Arab Strap. Indeed, much of Final Straw feels like a middle ground between these two bands, if not for the violins, xylophones, and percussion Lee layers into the mix. Thanks to extra ornamentation, "Gleaming Auction" steps into the swirling realm of Rollerskate Skinny, as wobbly dynamics add interest to punishing guitars. If one gets the sense that Lightbody is shuffling through influences, ranging from all of the above-mentioned bands to Radiohead, Coldplay ("Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking" seems to be a more rocking cousin to Coldplay's "Clocks"), and even Pink Floyd (on the unmistakably Dark Side of the Moon-influenced "Same"), his mastery of mood and adherence to harmonies make for a consistently coherent and compelling 40 minutes. Highlights include the throbbing cacophony that is "Wow" and "Spitting Games," which seems like a cascading Wall of Sound feedback-free descendant of My Bloody Valentine. Final Straw is another strong slab of emotion and invigorating energy from a solid band that mixes its influences into an always heady sonic libation.
February 3, 200718 yr Author http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drh200/h273/h27334xt49y.jpg Eyes Open (May 9, 2006) 4 Stars Review by MacKenzie Wilson The anthemic indie rock sound of Snow Patrol provides a bit of hope and promise among the many acts attempting to fit into a certain genre or scene. Snow Patrol belong to their own scene, and their third album, 2004's Final Straw, proved that with several global hit singles such as "Run," "Chocolate," "How to Be Dead," and the reissue of "Spitting Games." British fans once more proclaimed their beloved Snow Patrol as a true rock & roll band while American audiences finally took notice of the Scottish collective. The band's fourth album, Eyes Open, doesn't fall short from where they left off; in fact, Snow Patrol's hungry rock sound only gets bigger and better this time around. All guitar hooks and singalong choruses are firmly in place. Gary Lightbody is an underrated frontman. On Eyes Open, he once again writes songs that are from the heart and true to self-reflection without getting too sappy and too overjoyed. From the playful name-dropping of Sufjan Stevens on "Hands Open" to their passionate delivery on "It's Beginning to Get to Me" and "Shut Your Eyes," Snow Patrol's approach is epic. They are the kind of band that embrace simplicity as beautiful and human flaws as art. The lullaby-like "You Could Be Happy" and the passionate buildup of "Make This Go on Forever" are evident of that. This 11-song set is a masterpiece, so keep your ears and eyes open for Snow Patrol. They're onto something big.
February 3, 200718 yr thank you for posting this i love reading this kind of stuff it always interestiing to read so again thank you
February 3, 200718 yr I always thought Gary Lightbody wanted Mark to leave as he thought they wouldn't go futher. Thank you thisispop for posting this
