Product Description
The warm melancholy of Gary Lightbody's voice makes for a versatile instrument on Snow Patrol's Final Straw, artfully balancing bright anthemic rock with disparate reference points like Belle and Sebastian and My Bloody Valentine. Aching with loves both lost and leaving, it's a voice that producer Garrett Lee uses as a jumping off point, dropping fat guitars, electronic noise, and eclectic instrumentation in with Lightbody's breathy, moody depth. The band plays around with wild shifts of texture; "Gleaming Auction" veers in seconds from a relaxed shuffle to a shoegazing crunch, while a blanket of fuzzbox swagger calls forth the ghost of T. Rex on "Tiny Little Fractures." But just when you're ready to throw the record on random shuffle with Electric Warrior or maybe Heaven Tonight, the band lays down a pastoral ballad like "Same." Somehow it holds together beautifully, stuffed with songs that reward repeat listens and ear candy that keeps you full for days. --Matthew Cooke
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Spotlight Reviews
 Anti-Climactic Greatness
I just graduated college and I'm looking for jobs, so you know what that means... I'm broke. Who am I kidding, I don't buy half the music I used to simply because I can't afford it and I know my way around a computer better than most. But I bought this cd, and thank God I did. It's the only cd I've purchased in months, and well worth it.
Their single "Spitting Games" is definitely the most radio friendly track, but by no means their best song on the album. Songs like "Run" and "Somewhere a Clock is Ticking" have raw emotion that's soft but very soulful. The songs express feelings through the great lyrics and music. You'll find no teenage angst screaming or whaling guitars on this album; just honest well done music. When I first heard the album it brought me back to a lot of the soul searching and alternative bands of the 90's like collective soul, gin blossoms, nada surf, but with a new twist. Kind of like Jimmy Eats World meets Collective Soul.
Overall it's a refreshing and relaxing rock album that's full of good lyrics, vocals and music. It's an album that grows more and more on you as you listen to it.
 Most unique sound in years!
Snow patrol's third effort final straw just completely blows the previous two out of the water! Every song is wonderful and has its own sound. I first heard snow patrol when their single Run was featured on the season finale of one tree hill on the WB, and then I was hooked I bought the album about a week ago and now I can say that this is the best album yet this year. From the amazing opening How to be dead, to the fantastic Same, this album has something for everyone. Wow continues the album and throws everything at you. The next two tracks gleaming auction and whatevers left get better with each listen, and then comes the slam. Spitting games, chocolate, and Run best every other song on the album, and are some of the best in recent memory. The beautful Run, however, rises above everything else. Then comes grazed knees, the albums low point. It's a good song, but after the three big hits, it's just kind of a letdown. However, way's and means delivers to bring the album back up and then comes the fantastic tiny little fractures and the absorbing Somewhere a clock is ticking, and then finally the amazing same caps off the album in a excellent piece of music that reminds me of matchbox 20. All the songs are wonderful, however, there is one flaw. The order of the songs. The first four are exactly where they should be, but then comes the problem. After that should have followed Grazed knees, ways and means, tiny little fractures, and somewhere a clock is ticking,not Spitting games, chocolate, and run. Run should have been the final track. The rest hardly matters as long as the first track is how to be dead. Run gets you up into this emotional spot and then drops you back to the harder stuff.If grazed knees had been track five, played before the three best, the album would be without a low point. Oh well, great album just the same.
one of the best cds i've ever bought
perfectly thought out sums it up. there is not a song i don't like. every one is as good as the next. i get so sick and tired of listening to bands that sound the same but snow patrol differs. their sound is calming and at the same time you can still rock out to it (if that makes any sense). i heard like 5 seconds of the first couple of songs and bought the cd and there has not been a day where i didn't play it at least once. anyway i highly recommend this cd to everyone even the rednecks i live around. |
Based on 41 reviews.