 | Tracklist:
1. I'll Never Let Go
2. Called Out In the Dark
3. The Weight of Love
4. This Isn't Everything You Are
5. The Garden Rules
6. Fallen Empires
7. Berlin
8. Lifening
9. New York
10. In the End
11. Those Distant Bells
12. The Symphony
13. The President
14. Broken Bottles Form A Star (Prelude)
Release Date: 01/10/2012 | |
| | other reviews | CasualListen (3)
"Fallen Empires" is Snow Patrol's softest album to date, but it is also a fresh and relaxing experie... | Irving Tan Zhi Mian CONTRIBUTOR (2.5)
On their first recording since the million-selling 2009 collection Up To Now, Snow Patrol sound lead... | Axel (1.5)
This isn't everything they are... |
On 3 Lists
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| Summary: It's time for Snow Patrol to call it a day. |
5 of 5 thought this review was well written
Ever since the critical and, more importantly, commercial success of their 2006 release, Eyes Open, Snow Patrol have been floundering. A Hundred Million Suns played around with some pretty forced experimentalism, complete with an over ambitious 16 minute outro, and side projects have fizzled into existence only to immediately fade out in their mediocrity. Regrettably, Fallen Empires continues this trend. Whatever colour and flair there was to be found a few years ago has drained away, leaving something that, while not completely bad, is not exactly good either.
There is a prevailing feeling that Fallen Empires, as an album, is nothing more than a marketing decision. Coined by the band as their best and most experimental album: it blends the sincere, acoustic-ballad style that prevailed on their most popular releases with a heavy pop-rock influence. Effectively, you’ll catch glimpses of Coldplay, Arcade Fire and U2. There are plenty of chorus’ full of “woh’s”, plenty more parts involving backing choirs and songs where guitars are abandoned in favour of monochromatic beats. Incredibly experimental, I’m sure…
Seldom is seen of anything that feels like Snow Patrol material, funnily enough. It’s all smothered with this desperate attempt to make themselves seem more “epic”. Beneath it, there remains very little substance: no momentary glimpse of beauty, no profound or intelligent lyrics and nothing we haven’t heard a hundred million times before. It’s uncertain whether this is a result of simply going through the motions or that they’re convinced that, in order to make a good album, you only have to copy others. In either case, it’s clear that the main problem Snow Patrol face is that they’re completely out of touch. U2 have slowly grinded to a halt and Coldplay are in the midst of changing their direction: it should be clear therefore that arena-rock doesn’t really impress anymore unless it has a new edge to it. And no, the inclusion of 2007-esc dance beats in two songs does not count.
To its credit, Fallen Empires doesn’t contain anything completely painful (with the exception of the lyrics, which often fall far short of the mark), there are a few sparks in what’s such a lifeless collection. The President, for instance, hails back to the days of Eyes Open. Nevertheless, like a spark it appears bright in the gloom, but when compared to the brighter days of Snow Patrol’s less recent material it struggles to hold your attention.
Ultimately, Fallen Empires is bland. It struggles to portray emotion yet it’s impossible to be connected through this overdramatic arena-rock template. If Snow Patrol truly consider this experimental, or indeed good, then it might be time for them to finally stop before they destroy the fond memory of one of the most popular alt-rock groups of the 2000’s.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 2
Thank fuck I can listen to something else now.
How's my reviewing?
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Stream?
Digging: mewithoutYou - Ten Stories Digging: mewithoutYou - Ten Stories | | |
Excellent review. And I loved where you said "a hundred million times before". Pos.
Digging: Mae - The Everglow
| | | Album Rating: 2
From google.
http://totallyfuzzy.blogspot.com/2011/11/snow-patrol-fallen-empires-album-stream.html
| | | Album Rating: 2
^^^ Thanks.
^ I don't know, it's kind of a toss up between Final Straw and Eyes Open.
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It's already out in Europe (I thought), so is a stream really necessary then?
Digging: Swarms - Low Sun EP
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
I just asked because I didn't know if it was out yet
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Seldom is seen of anything that feels like Snow Patrol material, funnily enough.
It could be me, but I don't get what you're saying here.
Also,
leaving something that, while not completely bad, is not exactly good either.
This and the rest of the review reads more like a 2.5 than a 2... Which doesn't really matter, but oh well...
Otherwise, nice work! : )
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@ Sowing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Empires_%28album%29
Third sentence: album was released on November 11 2011...
Cool that there is a stream, but I don't think I'll be checking this out.
Loved Eyes Open, though.
| | | Album Rating: 2
"It could be me, but I don't get what you're saying here."
I guess I was saying that they're copying others instead of developing themselves. I'll have a little edit later to make it clearer.
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bands never been good
Digging: Gary Glitter - kiddy diddler Digging: Gary Glitter - kiddy diddler
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This has been out for ages over here. Not bothered listening, though.
Digging: The Walkmen - Heaven
| | | Album Rating: 2
Well, they've never been outstanding but you can't deny that some of their stuff is at least "good".
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Snow Patrol makes me nauseated
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Never wanted anything more from this band after Eyes Open.
Digging: Lemuria (BE) - Tales, Ale, and Fire
| | | Album Rating: 2
But more is always nice, right?
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Nope, this and the other albums really seem to be lackluster.
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"I just asked because I didn't know if it was out yet"
do research before asking an incriminating question????
Digging: Beach House - Bloom
| | | Album Rating: 2
Okay.
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Completely thought this wasn't due out until next year for some reason
Digging: Amon Tobin - Amon Tobin
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