Snow Patrol

I was already a fan of Snow Patrol, and this CD is great follow-up to their "Eyes Open" album. Crack the Shutters makes the album worth it everytime. -jimmy

On line with the last before, whitout big hit, but good all of it. Snow Patrol go ahead, slow but sure.

This is my first Snow Patrol album and it was an impulse buy. This was one of those "surprise me" things I do.

I wasn't surprised, rather I was swept off my feet. One beautiful album. I love all of the songs. I've read reviews of long-time fans, some I agree with, some I do not. But take my word on this, from someone expecting nothing ... I got so much more. Really worth the gamble.

I think this is the best Snow Patrol album ever. It's laid back and I like it.

I have 2 other Snow Patrol CD's (Eyes Open & Final Straw) and I felt this was without a doubt their best album to date. The band really shows their musical flexibility. Snow Patrol shows their ability to rock with Please Take These Photos From My Hand & Disaster Button with one of my favorites being. the 3rd part of Lightning Strikes, Daybreak. On the other hand if you want to slow it down a bit just listen to the melodic Set Down Your Glass. Overall a great CD.

ive had this cd since it first came out and i can listen to it everyday and not get tired of it!

After their silently mediocre major label debut, Snow Patrol was still an obscure band. Thus, "Eyes Open" is highly pleasing, pleasant, and radio friendly. But that doesn't mean it isn't good. The highlight "Chasing Cars" is a highly radio friendly pop love song to the utmost, but it carries a moving quality of originality and emotion. And it must have carried one heckuva sense of mass-appeal, since it still seems to be played at AC stations across America every hour, on the hour.

But coming in a close second is "Open Your Eyes," a song that builds slowly, driving home the magnificent chorus in epic fashion, without coming off cheesy. It also would have made for an awesome closer to the album, instead of the dreary "Finish Line." In terms of lowlights, "You Could Be Happy" sounds more of lullaby, and is sure to put you to sleep with its sappy lyrics.

But not all is a snooze fest, as the album primarily unleashes the band's rock side. Songs like "You're All I Have," "It's Beginning To Get To Me," "Shut Your Eyes" and especially "Hands Open." All achieve their goals, and all and well-made, well-produced, and keep you interested in the album. Other songs like "Set Fire To the Third Bar," "Make This Go On Forever," wind up as mixed bags, achieving goals in some areas, and missing them in areas, and leaving a general sense of, "I don't know what to make of that." The album lyrically holds onto the strange theme of 'eyes,' with half the songs mentioning the important body part in some metaphorical way, or in a literal sense, depending on what you make of it.

Overall, Snow Patrol crafts a very good album, but there are a few critical flaws that keep it from becoming great. But make no mistake, it's not very original, although it's the band's most original, it's radio friendly, but highly pleasant. It also shows brief flashes of brilliance, making this the album I would most likely buy from Snow Patrol's now-vast catalog. They've certainly come a long way from their former days as "Polar Bear."

I like the music the the Snow Patrol, the only problem is that I haven't received it. I ordered other items at the same time I received them in a timely matter. At this moment I haven't receive the Snow Patrol: Open Eyes CD and I haven't received any information from the company that I bought it through on Amazon.com. With my experience with this purchased I will not be ordering again and time soon.

A very dear friend of mine passed away last month at the age of 45, and this album reminds me of his personality and spirit. I found an email he wrote several months back where he was telling me how much he loved the song "Chasing Cars," which has been a song I've loved too. But hearing the whole album affrims that Michael would have loved every song on this collection. I think of how much he'd be enjoying the lead song, "You're All I Have," and "Shut Your Eyes," describes what he needed to do when things were going bad as he dealt with a terminal illness, while "Open Your Eyes," is very deep and all too chilling as it sounds descriptive of Michael's passing and those of us who knew him and believed his spirit would never die. On a more objective note, Snow Patrol have a great, radio sound, both commercial and quality modern rock as this album is an addictive listen from start to finish. Personally, I will always think of Mike when I play it, and can only hope that while he's in heaven, he has that garden bursting into life with him as they sing, "Forget what we're told before we get too old. Show me a garden that's bursting into life. All that I am, all that I ever was is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see."

I love it the songs have alot of meaning to them and you can listen to it over and over again. its mellow and beautiful.

I must make a correction. When I called this album "Silently Brilliant," I must correct that statement by calling this album "Silently Mediocre." Sorry, but I listened to the album again, and it just isn't that good. It's not even good as a whole, some songs are good, yes. But the album screams boring and mediocrity.

For highlights, "Chocolate" is of course a very sweet song, "Run" hits high marks when it's in chorus mode, and "Spitting Games" makes for a good upbeat rock song. Other than that, the album is filled with forgettable, boring and otherwise mediocre songs that never really capture your attention, or lead anywhere. Gordon Lightbody is good as always, but the quality of the songs don't match his talent. And in cases such as "Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking," the song title is better than the actual song.

Overall, I've heard it before, and I've heard it better. Although there are a few good songs, the project is underwhelming, and frankly a disappointment. You'd think otherwise by reading other reviews of the album, but don't be fooled. Bad start on the big stage for Snow Patrol, aka Polar Bear.

Real Score: 2.5

That is how I describe a band that I stumble upon (thank you Grey's Anatomy) and fall in love with. Snow Patrol hit my radar while I was starting to lose faith in the music industry in finding new, exciting and unique bands. I can't tell you the last time I'd found a new band to be excited about (this was in 2006)...Snow Patrol renewed my faith in music and unique, modern, worthy bands.

I bought Eyes Wide Open first and loved it so much that a month later I bought Final Straw. While this CD is not as good as Eyes Open, it's still a pretty damn good CD! I think in this CD they may have sort of been honing their skills and finding their nitch, style. But with a talented lead singer and musicians, and great songs...you can't go wrong. I think in part what makes Snow Patrol songs so likeable, are the lyrics and that many of the songs are relatable. Some of my favorites are: How to be Dead, Chocolate, Wow, Spitting Games and Grazed Knees.

If you like alternative rock, alternative or indie, I'd highly recommend Snow Patrol. You might want to start with Eyes Open though if you don't already have it. Thank god for new, youthful, unique bands, this is like a breath of fresh air!!

The 3rd album for Snow Patrol, 2004's "Final Straw," was the album that first got this amazing Irish group noticed. Gary Lightbody & crew serve up a healthy dose of melodic, breathtaking rock, decorated by impressive production work too, such as various tape effects, etc. Standouts include the sing-song quality of "How To Be Dead," the gorgeous, anthemic "Run", the sinister rock of "Ways & Means," and the wistful but effective finale, "Same." Lightbody's breathy voice is amazing, and his lyrics are sharp. He & his bandmates play this material to perfection, too. Just one curio: nine of the album's twelve songs don't mention the song titles in the lyrics. "Grazed Knees" is a great song, but why is it called "Grazed Knees"? Why is "Gleaming Auction" called "Gleaming Auction"? Why is "Tiny Little Fractures" called "Tiny Little Fractures"? Somebody get Gary Lightbody on the phone! But other than that, this is a truly great album. "Final Straw" shows that Snow Patrol are truly a musical force to be reckoned with.

It beats me why people compare this band to Travis, Coldplay and Keane. They are about as far from the classic pop sound of those bands - esp. Travis and Keane - as you could get. Instead, Snow Patrol have a driving, bass-heavy barre-chord driven sound with simple song structures. It brings out the beat, where Travis's songs bring out the strumming guitar and delicate chord changes. I guess the similarity lies with the emotional nakedness of Snow Patrol, which is what really makes them - and this cd - special. They are nowhere near as melodic as Keane, and, in fact, some songs verge on a kind of tedious blandness. But there is an obvious intelligence to the lyrics and an open anger that reminds me more of early Pub Rock or New Wave - Elvis Costello type stuff. I wouldn't mind a few more effective hooks (like the guitar riff in "Gleaming Auction"). This is driving rock - not the fairly light Britpop we've been listening to.

NEVER HEARD OF THIS BAND, FELL IN LOVE WITH ONE SONG, BOUGHT THE DISC AND LOVED IT ALL

GREAT NEW SOUNDS

This will be a brief, but useful review. I bought the deluxe version but haven't had time yet to watch the dvd. I will say that I think this album is kind of a hybrid of "Last Straw" and "Eyes Open." A lot of the songs sound a lot more rock like Last Straw but there are still some lighter, slower ones that remind me more of their newer stuff.

Pick it up, definitely worth your time/money:).

Because the manufacturer put so many songs on this cd, the last song will not play in some cd players. I returned the first copy of this cd I bought, because I thought it was a dud. Second copy had the same problem. Put it into a different cd player and it worked.

great early cd for this group.
they have gotten better.
still you should own this one too.

being a big fan of snow patrol's most recent work, i thought it important to listen to their earlier releases. "Songs for polar bears" is a great buy if you are a fan of indie rock. It's a lot diferent than their new material but I think you'll enjoy it either way.

If you must buy one Snow Patrol's pre-Final Straw albums, then get Songs for Polar Bears. Keep in mind, though, that while it is much better than When Its All Over We Still Have to Clear Up, it doesn't match the greatness of Final Straw or Eyes Open. However, in Songs for Polar Bears you will hear a good mix of acoustic ballads and heavy rock numbers. The album showed that Snow Patrol had alot of potential and in time would become a very good band, one that mellowed considerably. This is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your taste in music.

In Songs for Polar Bears, you will hear the heaviest rock songs Snow Patrol has ever recorded. When I first played it, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. If you liked Final Straw and Eyes Open, but felt they were too soft, then you just might like Songs for Polar Bears. If you love Snow Patrol for their ballads, don't expect Gary Lightbody to be so gentle in this album. You will definitely hear another side of Snow Patrol in Songs for Polars for Polars. A prime example is "Get Balsamic Vinegar...Quick You Fool" in which Lightbody sings the following:

I'm closer to the truth
she hates being on her own
but f--k her I'm leaving tonight

why should I live this way
when I could be with someone else

I don't want to hurt her feelings
But she's a crazy f--ked up b--ch

A long way from "Run" or "Chasing Cars" isn't it? But not all of the songs are angry. There are ballads, like "Mahogany" and "Fifteen Minutes Old," but most of them are short and acoustic. Other highlights include "Downhill from Here," "Starfighter Pilot," "Make Up," "Velocity Girl," and "One Hundred Things You Should Have Done in Bed." While you're waiting for the next Snow Patrol album, buy Songs for Polar Bears. It has recently been extended to 23 tracks, making it a double album. I recommend this one, but avoid When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up.

Its amazing how the same yoofs ended up recording a couple of quite excellent albums several years later but in their obviously extremely sharp learning curve they very sadly dredged out this witless vile intensely pathetic drivel. Its everything sensible mature folks hate and loathe about cliched dreadful indie stuff. NO proper songs, just poorly structured noise that grates almost as badly as any punk rock, thrash metal or hippety hop garbage. This is a complete and utter waste of money!!

This is without doubt the worst CD I have purchased in a really, really long time. I love Snow Patrol's more recent stuff, and I bought this to just get into them more...it's just horrid. The base is frequently louder than the really light vocals, and most of the songs just repeat the same line over and over...and over, and over...for most of the song. This is most notably true in "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again." It just...makes my skin crawl.

The CD itself was in perfect condition.

I would have liked to have heard some of the music and view the names of the songs.

If you loved Final Straw and Eyes Open, you'll hate When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up. Trust me. Like the majority of Snow Patrol's new fans, I discovered the underrated rock group when watching Live 8. So we bought Final Straw and were not disappointed. It's a great album and in my opinion is better than Eyes Open, although that too is an album worth checking out.

When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up is not. Like many, I thought Final Straw was Snow Patrol's first album and was happy to learn that they had two other albums, one released in 1998 and another in 2001. My joy died the moment I played this album. Don't get me wrong. I didn't expect it to sound like Final Straw and I love it when rock bands experiment with their sound, but When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up is without doubt Snow Patrol's worst album thus far. If you absolutely must buy one of Snow Patrol's early albums, buy their first - Songs for Polar Bears. It's a good debut with some memorable, catchy tunes. What's more, it proves to Snow Patrol's critics that the band can really rock hard when they want to. While it's not as good as Final Straw or Eyes Open, Songs for Polar Bears is a masterpiece compared to this one. You've been warned.

This is early Snow Patrol, but this band out of Ireland has it together. If you like their new music, this is a must.

As a major fan of Snow Patrol, (even before this year, yes) I was very interested in this album because it is the one no one talks about. After purchasing it, I kind of figured out why. It isn't bad... that's certainly not the word for it. Its dreamy soundscape and ethereal vocals are anything but bad. It's just... nothing truly special. To me, a lot of these songs sound the same and if I play the cd in my car (on auto repeat) I never realize when it finishes and starts again. There are a few small gems, "Olive Grove Facing the Sea" and the title track, but when compared to other Snow Patrol greats, they're something I keep in reserve for a rainy day. For anyone well-versed in Snow Patrol, if you're going to compare albums (and you really shouldn't) it would be most like Songs for Polar Bears. Anyway, I wouldn't put it on the top of your wishlist, but if you're looking for some new music and haven't figured out what to get yet... this wouldn't be a bad choice.

I bought this CD after seeing them in HD on MHD. I had only heard a few songs, so I was wooried that I might not be as fond of the rest of the album. Well I was wrong to think that, this is a great album and it is often in my car's CD and of course on my Zem MP3. The songs are varried and the lyrics are very good. Love this one and plan to check out soom of their many other CDs.

I bought this CD mostly for the song "Run". This was the first song I ever heard from Snow Patrol and I absolutely loved it. I have quickly found that I love all of the songs on this album. It is wonderful and I highly recommend it to everyone. I will be purchasing Snow Patrol's other albums very soon.

After several solid albums in the UK, Snow Patrol gets some US attention with their breakout album, "Final Straw." Their melancholy rock'n'roll has a sort of chilly, late-autumn sound and a lot of songs about falling-out with lovers, but avoids being the cliched, whiny album about The End of the Band Leader's Relationship.

"Run" serves as the most polished, radio-oriented song -- smooth and vaguely Coldplayish -- but songs like "Run" and "Spitting Games" take a different tack: More rough indie-rock with some wicked basslines and a solid rhythm. The most musically rich song is "Ways and Means," a magnificent, slow-grinding song that includes violins, synths and cymbals.

As this is a dual disc album, one side of it is a DVD, containing music videos for three of the songs ("Chocolate," "Spitting Games" and "Run"), two versions of surround sound and stereo, a photo gallery, an interview, a bio of the band, and more. For fans of Snow Patrol it's probably well worth it.

Snow Patrol don't really forge any new paths into the world of rock music. Most of their songs are rooted in gritty indie-rock bands, as well as some classics like Pink Floyd. But they do have a solid, engaging style, in the form of a "message": Gary Lightbody seems to be asking his lovers to please, please, PLEASE understand him.

The songs almost border on dance music sometimes -- some strings, barely-restrained chugging guitars, solid basslines and the occasional lovely roll of electronic sound serve to contrast the melancholy tone. It seems a little weird to have such musically upbeat instrumentation while singing about being drenched in the rain. But it saves "Final Straw" from being yet another mopey pop album about The End of the Relationship.

Gary Lightbody's vocals sometimes get buried under the drums; they are best highlighted in songs like "Run," where the sound is lower-key. They do need serious help with some of the songwriting. "My heart is bursting in your perfect eyes/ As blue as oceans and as pure as skies." While these songs have an earnestly sweet quality, it can't be denied that the writing is pretty banal.

"Final Straw" is a solid album, but it leaves one with the impression that Snow Patrol can -- and probably will -- do even better. While this bittersweet breakout is destined to be quite popular, it probably deserves it.

I've been nuts about Snow Patrol for a few years now, ever since they crossed the pond with their third album "Final Straw."

So it was a massive thrill when it was announced that this Scottish band would be contributing the main song for "Spiderman 3," a new tune called "Signal Fire." And the single for this song pairs this brilliant chunk of Britpop with a solid remix of a song from their latest album "Eyes Open."

The title track opens on a gentle guitar melody, with Gary Lightbody singing wistfully, "The perfect words, never crossed my mind/Cause there was nothing in there but you/I felt every ounce of me screaming out/But the sound was trapped deep in me..."

Soon it blossoms out is a blend of blazing guitar and lushly swirling instrumentation, traddling the line between Britpop and energetic rock'n'roll. In it, Lightbody sings of how the subject is the guiding force of love for him, despite confusion and fear: "In the confusion and the aftermath/You are my signal fire/The only resolution and the only joy/Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes..."

It's undeniably one of Snow Patrol's best songs ever, and so initially it feels a bit redundant to tack another song on after it. In this case, the Eddy TM Loser Remix of "Wow," from their album "Eyes Open."

Frankly this one sounds like a nightclub in the rainforest: It kicks off with an eerie, sort of jungley sound, which is broken by a grimy techno beat and some roiling guitars -- and soon it's become a sort of dancey, funky version of an indie-rocker. But a dark, slightly ominous one with lots of blasting bass.

Listening to "Signal Fire," you can hear exactly why they were chosen to be at the head of the "Spiderman 3" soundtrack -- their music is passionate, complex and sounds almost effortless. If there's anything to be disappointed in in "Signal Fire," it's that this single is too short.

Musically these guys rock -- gentle acoustic balladry, blazes of bass and crashing drums immersed in a swirl of ringing, cycling electric guitars, and driving rock rhythms immersed in grimy beats and UFO synth. And Lightbody provides some beautiful, smooth vocals -- he can sound soaring and romantic, then sound like a slightly drunken savior ("It's all going to change!").

The "Signal Fire" single only has two songs, but both of them are definitely winners -- a solid remix and a brilliant soundtrack song. Definitely worth hearing.

I've been nuts about Snow Patrol for a few years now, ever since they crossed the pond with their third album "Final Straw."

So it was a massive thrill when it was announced that this Scottish band would be contributing the main song for "Spiderman 3," a new tune called "Signal Fire." And the single for this song pairs this brilliant chunk of Britpop with a solid remix of a song from their latest album "Eyes Open."

The title track opens on a gentle guitar melody, with Gary Lightbody singing wistfully, "The perfect words, never crossed my mind/Cause there was nothing in there but you/I felt every ounce of me screaming out/But the sound was trapped deep in me..."

Soon it blossoms out is a blend of blazing guitar and lushly swirling instrumentation, traddling the line between Britpop and energetic rock'n'roll. In it, Lightbody sings of how the subject is the guiding force of love for him, despite confusion and fear: "In the confusion and the aftermath/You are my signal fire/The only resolution and the only joy/Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes..."

It's undeniably one of Snow Patrol's best songs ever, and so initially it feels a bit redundant to tack another song on after it. In this case, the Eddy TM Loser Remix of "Wow," from their album "Eyes Open."

Frankly this one sounds like a nightclub in the rainforest: It kicks off with an eerie, sort of jungley sound, which is broken by a grimy techno beat and some roiling guitars -- and soon it's become a sort of dancey, funky version of an indie-rocker. But a dark, slightly ominous one with lots of blasting bass.

Listening to "Signal Fire," you can hear exactly why they were chosen to be at the head of the "Spiderman 3" soundtrack -- their music is passionate, complex and sounds almost effortless. If there's anything to be disappointed in in "Signal Fire," it's that this single is too short.

Musically these guys rock -- gentle acoustic balladry, blazes of bass and crashing drums immersed in a swirl of ringing, cycling electric guitars, and driving rock rhythms immersed in grimy beats and UFO synth. And Lightbody provides some beautiful, smooth vocals -- he can sound soaring and romantic, then sound like a slightly drunken savior ("It's all going to change!").

The "Signal Fire" single only has two songs, but both of them are definitely winners -- a solid remix and a brilliant soundtrack song. Definitely worth hearing.