Fallen Empires

Artist: Snow Patrol
Label: Universal Music
Website: snowpatrol.com

Snow Patrol are back with their sixth album Fallen Empires and it once again finds the band trying to recreate the magic of their 2006 hit "Chasing Cars". I thought that Snow Patrol moved away from this on their solid follow-up and last outing A Hundred Million Suns (2008) but Fallen Empires trends back to a mid-tempo ballad around every corner.

First single "Called Out In The Dark" does try to shake some things up a bit with its strong dance beat but it never completely catches your attention while the title track follows the same pattern with a feverish electronic backdrop that just misses.

The overall tone on Fallen Empires is upbeat which is a nice progression for Snow Patrol but at almost a 60 minute running time the album's similar vibe wears you out a bit.

Before you totally toss this record aside, I do think that fans will still find some memorable songs on here like the engaging ballad "New York" which has the potential to conquer the airwaves.

The downside of Fallen Empires is that it just never seems to totally take off from some great ideas or capture the indie mojo the band once possessed. 

Christopher Anthony

For more of Christopher Anthony's music reviews, check out The Fire Note