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If Final Straw introduced Snow Patrol to the mainstream and Eyes Open cemented the band's popularity, then A Hundred Million Suns is the group's ultimate bid for stardom, its slick production and sonic uplift designed to maintain Snow Patrol's place in the charts. Like "Chasing Cars," the mega-single from Snow Patrol's previous album, tracks like "Take Back the City" and "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" are slyly repetitive -- their hooks are cyclic, each comprising only a handful of notes, and their straightforward familiarity helps maximize the songs' singalong potential. But A Hundred Million Suns also features more curve balls than the band's past catalog, from "Lifeboats" (an icy love song with synthesizer glissandos and falsetto harmonies) to "The Golden Floor," whose handclap-and-stomp intro recalls the light hip-hop flavor of OneRepublic's "Apologize." This is where Snow Patrol sound best -- at the intersection between marketable pop/rock and something more challenging, whether it's an unexpected arrangement or an interesting melodic turn.
The band's appeal also owes a good deal to Gary Lightbody, who maintains his status as the least famous frontman of a very famous band. He's the boy next door, a musical Everyman who's just as average looking as Chris Martin and only half as desperately self-effacing. Looks may have little to do with an artist's music, but such appearances help ground Snow Patrol's music, even while "Take Back the City" and "Please Take These Photos from My Hands" reach for the same stars that U2 routinely grab. When A Hundred Million Suns focuses on music -- not saccharine radio fodder like "Chasing Cars," but actual music, with twists and turns that haven't been mapped out by generations of likeminded balladeers -- the album warrants Snow Patrol's existing fame, presenting a band that aspires to pop/rock grandeur without developing the accompanying ego.
© Andrew Leahey /TiVo
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Cenzo Townshend, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Neil Comber, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Programmer - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Cenzo Townshend, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Neil Comber, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Programmer - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dave Emery, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Cenzo Townshend, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Programmer - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Mixer, Programmer, StudioPersonnel - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Mixer, Programmer, StudioPersonnel - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Cenzo Townshend, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Neil Comber, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Programmer - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Mixer, Programmer, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Cenzo Townshend, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Neil Comber, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Programmer - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Mixer, Programmer, StudioPersonnel - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Cenzo Townshend, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Neil Comber, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Guitar, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Guy Barker, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - James Howard, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Cenzo Townshend, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Neil Comber, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Stewart, Bass Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - James Anderson, Tuba, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Lightbody, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonny Quinn, Composer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Connolly, Composer, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Wilson, Composer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Simpson, Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tilmann Ilse, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mo Hausler, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - David Taylor, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Tom McFall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sam Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Garret Lee, Producer, Mixer, Programmer, StudioPersonnel - Snow Patrol, MainArtist - Ian Crawford, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Jeremy James, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Avshalom Caspi, Vocal Arranger, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Law, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Rose, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Peter Kenny, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Smith, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - James Jarvis, Unknown, Other - Peter Jennings, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Henry Ross, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Judy Taylor, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Colin Sheen, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Owen Lewis, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Kelleher, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Evgeny Chebykin, Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Alex Cope, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Alison Benbow, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Finn, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Claire Fletcher, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Claire Whitehead, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Garioch, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Soderberg, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - ¿Desola Haastrup, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Edward Sykes, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Frances Rowberry, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Gareth Wigmore, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Gordon Banner, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Gretchen Cummings, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Hayley Kruger, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Russill, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - John Catherall, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Julia Saperia, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Rivers-Moore, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Mary Jeavans, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Jelf, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Pratt, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Rebecca Wallis, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Furse, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Roz Sherris, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sara Coffey, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sarah Meunier, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sharon Kniss, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Stephen Wilmot, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Stuart Murray-Turnbull, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Meunier, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Val Reid, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Victor Gan, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Album review
If Final Straw introduced Snow Patrol to the mainstream and Eyes Open cemented the band's popularity, then A Hundred Million Suns is the group's ultimate bid for stardom, its slick production and sonic uplift designed to maintain Snow Patrol's place in the charts. Like "Chasing Cars," the mega-single from Snow Patrol's previous album, tracks like "Take Back the City" and "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" are slyly repetitive -- their hooks are cyclic, each comprising only a handful of notes, and their straightforward familiarity helps maximize the songs' singalong potential. But A Hundred Million Suns also features more curve balls than the band's past catalog, from "Lifeboats" (an icy love song with synthesizer glissandos and falsetto harmonies) to "The Golden Floor," whose handclap-and-stomp intro recalls the light hip-hop flavor of OneRepublic's "Apologize." This is where Snow Patrol sound best -- at the intersection between marketable pop/rock and something more challenging, whether it's an unexpected arrangement or an interesting melodic turn.
The band's appeal also owes a good deal to Gary Lightbody, who maintains his status as the least famous frontman of a very famous band. He's the boy next door, a musical Everyman who's just as average looking as Chris Martin and only half as desperately self-effacing. Looks may have little to do with an artist's music, but such appearances help ground Snow Patrol's music, even while "Take Back the City" and "Please Take These Photos from My Hands" reach for the same stars that U2 routinely grab. When A Hundred Million Suns focuses on music -- not saccharine radio fodder like "Chasing Cars," but actual music, with twists and turns that haven't been mapped out by generations of likeminded balladeers -- the album warrants Snow Patrol's existing fame, presenting a band that aspires to pop/rock grandeur without developing the accompanying ego.
© Andrew Leahey /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:57:59
- Main artists: Snow Patrol
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Polydor Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK) ℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
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