Chasing Cars with Snow Patrol

After coming back from England I realized that we get exposed to very different media here in the U.S. After all it is difficult to watch Manchester U whoop Team X for the 10th time or view such shows as East Enders. That's probably not a bad thing - however, we don't even have European weather over here the way they have U.S. weather over there. I think maybe this is because of the media companies filtering information a certain way for U.S. audiences.

I'm sure this has all sorts of profound implications. But for me it means that I tend to enjoy music made, produced and popular outside the U.S. A solid case in point is the band Snow Patrol which has been topping charts in the U.K. and throughout Europe for the past three years and becoming even more popular with their latest release Eyes Open.

Now if you know me well you'll know that I'm no particular fan of the latest style of music dubbing itself "Indie". After all I grew up listening to the likes Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Rush. I currently listen avidly and almost exclusively to a brand of European metal known as progressive metal which currently is most popular in places like Holland and Sweden.

So what's so ear opening about Snow Patrol's new single Chasing Cars? Is it the pop simplicity mixed with lyric subtly? Is it the nearly palpable mournfulness inherent in music derived from dark places (even in happy songs)? It's hard to say, but one comment I picked up stated that they were impressed with how Snow Patrol is able to say "I love you" so poignantly in a single song without having to say it all all. And afterall how many songs can boast that?

Snow Patrol Official Site

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