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Final Straw
Snow Patrol
Retail Price (not our price): $9.98
Release Date: 2004-03-30
Manufacturer: A&M
Format: Audio CD
Discs: 1

Track List
Now here, for your listening pleasure, the tracks...

Disc 1

Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com
The warm melancholy of Gary Lightbody's voice makes for a versatile instrument on Snow Patrol's Final Straw, artfully balancing bright, anthemic rock with disparate reference points like Belle and Sebastian and My Bloody Valentine. Aching with loves both lost and leaving, it's a voice that producer Garrett Lee uses as a jumping-off point, dropping fat guitars, electronic noise, and eclectic instrumentation in with Lightbody's breathy, moody depth. The band plays around with wild shifts of texture: "Gleaming Auction" veers in seconds from a relaxed shuffle to a shoegazing crunch, while a blanket of fuzzbox swagger calls forth the ghost of T. Rex on "Tiny Little Fractures." But just when you're ready to throw the record on random shuffle with Electric Warrior or maybe Heaven Tonight, the band lays down a pastoral ballad like "Same." Somehow it holds together beautifully, stuffed with songs that reward repeat listens and ear candy that keeps you full for days. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5

1) Run--Don't Walk--To Buy This Album!   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
The 3rd album for Snow Patrol, 2004's "Final Straw," was the album that first got this amazing Irish group noticed. Gary Lightbody & crew serve up a healthy dose of melodic, breathtaking rock, decorated by impressive production work too, such as various tape effects, etc. Standouts include the sing-song quality of "How To Be Dead," the gorgeous, anthemic "Run", the sinister rock of "Ways & Means," and the wistful but effective finale, "Same." Lightbody's breathy voice is amazing, and his lyrics are sharp. He & his bandmates play this material to perfection, too. Just one curio: nine of the album's twelve songs don't mention the song titles in the lyrics. "Grazed Knees" is a great song, but why is it called "Grazed Knees"? Why is "Gleaming Auction" called "Gleaming Auction"? Why is "Tiny Little Fractures" called "Tiny Little Fractures"? Somebody get Gary Lightbody on the phone! But other than that, this is a truly great album. "Final Straw" shows that Snow Patrol are truly a musical force to be reckoned with.

2) Dark new wave rock   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
It beats me why people compare this band to Travis, Coldplay and Keane. They are about as far from the classic pop sound of those bands - esp. Travis and Keane - as you could get. Instead, Snow Patrol have a driving, bass-heavy barre-chord driven sound with simple song structures. It brings out the beat, where Travis's songs bring out the strumming guitar and delicate chord changes. I guess the similarity lies with the emotional nakedness of Snow Patrol, which is what really makes them - and this cd - special. They are nowhere near as melodic as Keane, and, in fact, some songs verge on a kind of tedious blandness. But there is an obvious intelligence to the lyrics and an open anger that reminds me more of early Pub Rock or New Wave - Elvis Costello type stuff. I wouldn't mind a few more effective hooks (like the guitar riff in "Gleaming Auction"). This is driving rock - not the fairly light Britpop we've been listening to.

3) NICE   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
NEVER HEARD OF THIS BAND, FELL IN LOVE WITH ONE SONG, BOUGHT THE DISC AND LOVED IT ALLGREAT NEW SOUNDS

4) Start your Snow Patrol Collection here   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
Don't bother with anything earlier than this album with Snow Patrol. This is really where they finally got their act together. Get this one and Eyes Open and you'll be set.

5) Canciones para escuchar y disfrutar   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
Final Straw recoge una colección de canciones bien escritas, con una excelente música y cargadas de sentimiento. Por ello han sido seleccionadas para hacer parte de bandas sonoras reconocidas a nivel mundial.