Eyes Open Fiction/Polydor/A&M Music   ••½ Sound   •••

There's no denying that Gary Lightbody has the kind of arresting voice that makes you sit up and take notice. But on Eyes Open, a penchant for lyrics and tempos that are the opposite of his surname leads to a set that starts promisingly (the taut "You're All I Have") yet ultimately sinks under the weight of its own seriousness. Many songs center on themes of regret ("You Could Be Happy") and losing one's way ("It's Beginning to Get to Me"), but with so few details to help explain all the gloom, Snow Patrol's latest leaves you out in the cold.

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