The Holtonian

My thoughts on Snow Patrol

So as I mentioned before I got two Snow Patrol Cds for my birthday. Now I can't stress this enough: if you like Coldplay or U2 then I almost guarantee you'll love snow patrol.

For me the success of a CD is judged by its "skipability." If there is a song on the CD that can be skipped it is flawed. Most bands tend to do a 3 to 5 good songs on an album and fill the rest with junk. That is why some bands say like ACDC don't want to join Itunes... because everyone knows ACDC has maybe 2 good songs on an album, the rest of their songs are about flatuelence, beer, and breasts.... come to think of it that's all their songs. My favorite band U2 has probably 3 to 5 songs per album that I feel no obligation to listen to. I usually listen to them but there is probably only 2 or 3 U2 albums that I can listen to comfortably without skipping a song: October and Unforgetable Fire... and probably Achtung.

Coldplay I can listen to the entire album... but realize that their entire albums are pretty much the same songs over and over again.

Final Straw is the earlier CD out of the two I got, came out in 2003. Chocolate was the big song that made it to the mainstream radio... it is also the song where the CD's title comes from. What I respect about this album is its cohesion, the whole thing holds together and transitions so well. There is only one song that I don't like on this entire album, Ways and Means... and even it isn't awful its just not as good as the rest of the album.

Tiny Little Fractures has to be my favorite song on the album. Its upbeat, you can hear their Irish/Scottish accents come forth.

Wow and Spitting Games are also an amazing songs. I like the upbeat ones but even the quieter slower ones move me in ways I think U2 hasn't since Joshua Tree.

Then there is Eyes Open... not one song I can skip. I can't even think of skipping one, they're all that good.

A few popular hits on the radio off this one as well: chasing cars being the big one.

I hate admiting this, but I was sitting in my cube listening to 'Make This Go On Forever'... just sort of day dreaming at work as usual. I start staring at a picture of AK I have above my monitor, its the cutest picture in the world (makes Mona Lisa look like a hag). I was just listening to the lyrics... staring at my little girl... I started to well up. I had to do a check, make sure the tears werent' streamin down the face. Powerful songs... and yes I am a little emotional from the quarter life crisis.

I'm not sure which CD i like better. I think Final Straw has some better songs but Eyes Open being the more recent one is more polished.

I can't stress these CDs enough... best I've listened to possibly ever... not sure still got a lot of life to live and we'll see if they withstand the test of time test. Amazon, 7 bucks for final straw 9.50 for Eyes Open.

Posted by holtonian at August 23, 2006 10:32 PM | TrackBack