Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

Once unknown and likeable, Snow Patrol have become hugely popular and bland in equal measures, thanks to their formulaic start-quiet-get-loud-end-quiet song structures. Having tasted success with last album 'Final Straw', it seems Gary Lightbody & co are determined to maintain their mainstream status with unchallenging if pleasantly hummable pop material. Chasing Cars continues this predictable pattern with lyrics that are emptily universal and unadorned chord changes presumably meant to be rousing, if you like this kind of thing. If you don't, too bad, because this song is already everywhere. [Nick Mitchell]