Snow Patrol hasn’t made new music in the last few years, until now. However they didn’t exactly disappear from the spotlight – radio will always play the “Grey’s Anatomy”-approved anthem “Chasing Cars.” But the Northern Irish/Scottish band has kept a low profile since releasing “Fallen Empires” in 2011. For why you may ask? Gary Lightbody, the frontman of the band, has been struggle with depression and alcoholism.
The 41-year-old has been very open about the darkness that enveloped him in those intervening years in interviews to promote the five-piece’s latest release, the stunningly upbeat “Wildness.”
“Wildness,” produced by Garret “Jacknife” Lee, an old standby, digs deep, grapples with the big life questions keeping us all up at night and manages to simultaneously sound stadium-ready and confessional. Cliches are not Snow Patrol’s strong suit, but Lightbody, along with Courteney Cox fiance and Pink collaborator McDaid, concoct the relatable music we all know and love to welcome the band’s return with open arms. The rallying cry of “Don’t Give Up” rises to match its title while “Soon” addresses Lightbody’s father suffering from dementia so directly and vulnerably, you’ll get that lump in your throat.
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