Snow Patrol

Wildness

Polydor

It has been eight years since Snow Patrol released Fallen Empires and a massive 12 years since Chasing Cars made them synonymous with the alt-rock power ballad. Wildness sees the band partner with producer Jacknife Lee as they appear on the surface to come to terms with the rapid growth that they saw back in 2006.

On first listening it feels like Snow Patrol have tried to step back to the early years, when they had a bit more grit about their records. Light On Earth is the perfect opener and reintroduction to the band. You could say that Gary Lightbody and co faced their 'life' block square on. Empress has the words to uplift and Heal Me is one of their strongest anthems to date. But if you are a steadfast fan of their emotional rock, What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get? is the track for you.

If you were hoping for a new direction from Snow Patrol you won't find it here, but there are glimpses of a fresher sound to come.

Rachel Howdle