Written by Landry Upchurch
Some albums at release are unknown and not many will listen to them. Even with this, some of these unknown albums will become legendary overtime. From Nick Drake to The Modern Lovers there are small artists that turn big with time due to their iconic albums that were once unknown. Then there is the opposite effect in music and the perfect example of this is the band Snow Patrol and their album Eyes Open. This band went from playing stadiums at their peak to a forgotten band that recently just headlined at small venues on their last tour in 2018.
When Snow Patrol peaked in the mid 2000’s they had a number 1 single and a top selling album under their belt. But as time went on this was all but forgotten, many people my age don’t know any songs from Snow Patrol. Their so called “peak album” is one that was left in the dust as Alternative and Pop music begun to reinvent itself (as it always does.) But this forgotten album still deserves recognition for it’s impact on Popular culture in the mid 2000’s.
Eyes Open is a 45-minute album that focuses mainly on a damaged relationship. With its driving melodies, memorable hooks, and unforgettable lyrics from front man Gary Lightbody, Eyes Open makes for a memorable pop record. But that is exactly what it is, a pop album, this album never takes any bold risks that have already been done. At the end of the day it can just be confused as a Northern Irish version of Coldplay with a little bit of Interpol thrown in. Do not get me wrong there are some great songs on here that I am guilty of overplaying. Take the breakup slow burner “You Could Be Happy” for example, this song has an outstanding melody with melancholic lyrics about a love lost. But it doesn’t have anything that makes it remarkable. Another example of this is “It’s Beginning To Get To Me” this song has an uplifting melody that flies like an airplane. The lyrics again talk about a difficult partner that is mysterious and attractive but the singer and hist partner’s love is fading. This song is fun to listen to and catchy, yet it sounds straight out of 2006. There is nothing that is “iconic about” It’s Beginning To Get To Me. This goes for much of the album, you have songs like “Shut Your Eyes, Open Your Eyes, and Chasing Cars” that are the album’s staples that you will hear on old sitcom soundtracks, but there is nothing about them that will change your emotions like good music usually does.
This album means a lot to me personally as both of my parents enjoyed this album, I grew up with it always being played at dinner, on the way to school and while running errands with my family. Even with this I understand that while its a memorable pop record that has had plenty of accolades. It has also made a ton of money for this band (through commercials, TV shows, etc.), yet Eyes Open is not legendary or iconic in terms of other alternative albums that came out at this time. Their sound while catchy and enjoyable was not ahead of its time and that is the exact reason while Eyes Open and Snow Patrol lost popularity over time.
Loading ...