Snow Patrol take lo-fi charm, add some dirty riffs and buckets of regret and passion, yet still sound innocent. Maybe it’s the casual vocals, gliding over the sassy synth and swooning guitars. It could be the trumpet and backward drum loops. Or perhaps it’s how personal these songs are. Listening feels intrusive, with ‘On Off’ – an open letter of remorse – particularly special, accepting responsibility where Coldplay’s ‘Trouble’ blames everyone else. The theme of the death of a relationship reappears throughout the album, the sense of disbelief tangible. “Even if we shouldn’t be here, I cannot help myself with you,” a tiny voice full of fear sings on ‘Black and Blue’, before it turns into a frenzied New Wave guitar epic. The fragile ‘Make Love To Me Forever’ hints at a desperate clinging onto something that’s fading away. Sad, sexy and simply great.
