by Chase Hunt

Created on: November 05, 2008

Snow Patrol is known for their melancholy songs and words that wrench the heart. With songs such as "Chasing Cars" and "Run," it's hard to not see why these guys are loved, but with a fond sadness. However, on their upcoming release A Hundred Million Suns, Snow Patrol takes their classic experimental sound and ups the production a bit to give it a more beat controlled, more "happy" tone.

The fifth album began recording in May of this year and took only a few weeks in Berlin and Ireland studios. The album evolves from relationships ends to one that is working out nicely.

Opening the album is "If There's a Rocket Tie Me To It," lyrics written by lead singer Gary Lightbody. Starting off subtle, the song picks up rhythm with lyrics that speak of a touch remembered. "A pulse, your pulse/ It's the only thing I can remember..." Lightbody sings before the bridge explodes.

"Take Back The City" shows a more uptempo side of Snow Patrol. Climbing the modern rock charts, "Take Back The City" is about a free love. "Tell me you never wanted more than this/ And I will stop talking now... Take back the city for yourself tonight, I'll take back the city for me," says in a message to do what makes you feel good. Sonically, the song has a pattern not heard from Snow Patrol yet.

"Take These Photographs From My Hands" is another song that shows Snow Patrol's more edgier side. With reverbed guitars, the song sings of memories lost, or memories that would be preferred to be lost. "When all this actual life played out/ Where the hell on Earth was I? / I rack my brains but it won't come," he sings of trying to remember what happened in these photos. It still sounds like the memories would rather be forgotten with lyrics such as "I fold the letter and think of a million and one things that I could have done different."

Aside the uptempo songs, Snow Patrol still includes their soft ballads that strike a chord in the heart such as "Set Your Glass Down." A simple love song about being broken inside, but the other person will fix everything to be as good as new. "And I'm shaking then I'm still/ When your eyes meet mine/ I lose simple skills/ Like to tell you all I want is now" are the words to the chorus of the sweet song. Gary Lightbody uses his smokey low tone in "The Planets Bend Between Us." The song explains devotion to one another and uses the title of the album in the verses.

"The Lightning Strike" is a 16 minute compostion that is set into three parts titled "What If This Storm Ends" that describes a relationship that could just go in the blink of an eye. Part two is titled "The Sunlight Through the Flags" in which takes on a piano riff that sometimes sounds like it was off, but the lyrics about having faith and feeling free make up for it. Part three is titled "Daybreak" is a more experimental track destined to draw the listener in with melodic vocal riffs of being together.

Snow Patrol has found a new mature sound and a happiness we've not seen from them before in A Hundred Million Suns

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