91Èȱ¬

Whatever the reason, we should all be grateful that Gary and his epic-rocking buddies are taking tentative steps away from their old formulas. Oh sure, the verses are the same sort of thing they always do - a tiny little melodic fragment is repeated often and carries lyrics in which the singer talks directly to you, the listener, about how crucial you are in his dramatic life. But someone has clearly slipped the drummer a great big steak, or whatever the vegetarian equivalent is, cos when the chorus kicks in he starts playing double time, and at GREAT VOLUME.

Startling stuff, eh? And then, just after that chorus is finished and the rest of the band all turn towards the drum kit with expressions of total bewilderment on their faces, someone starts singing barbershop harmonies to fill the musical gap. Then there's another verse, then the drummer goes crackers in the second chorus, and gets so carried away that he keeps going even when it's time for the barbershoppers to do their bit again.

OK, it doesn't sound like much, but this is Snow Patrol we're talking about. Maybe they should work with film directors more often, eh?

PS: The video is very cute too.

CD Released: April 30th

(Fraser McAlpine)