Retrospective Review: Snow Patrol - Final Straw

I usually wait to review music until I've listened to an album at least 3 times.  Because some music grows on me while other music I either like or hate right away, this is a good policy for me.  As a result, I am typically pretty confident when I review an artist's work.

Typically...but not always.  Occasionally, I just shank a review completely.

When I got back from South Africa, I got about 20 or so new albums at once.  I had a lot of catching up to do, since a lot of bands released new material in the year that I was gone.  One of these albums was Snow Patrol's Final Straw.  I reviewed it, giving it the Jon Lovitz treatment: it stunk.  Well, I was wrong.

Very wrong.

Due to my album crush, I didn't give this one the time it deserved.  In the year since I put up that review, the album has grown on me.  A lot.  I actually find myself humming and singing songs from it often.  Believe me, I'm just as shocked as you are.  But this is a pretty fucking good album.  The songs I figured were pansy before actually convey a great deal of feeling, without seeming tired and played-out.  The fast songs are cool as long as they stay away from the kazoo-ish effect found in some of their tunes ("Spitting Games", etc).  And there are some truly transcendent songs like "Run," "Wow," "How To Be Dead," "Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking," and "Grazed Knees."

Were I to put up another formal review of Final Straw, I would give it 3 or 4 stars.  It's not the greatest album ever, but it has some great songs...and not many mediocre ones.  I stand corrected.  As for their new album?  I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it, but I'll let you know as soon as I do.

 

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