The year 2004 has seen a rapid increase of great bands in Britain. At the start of the year Franz Ferdinand released their self-titled debut album which has brought a distinct freshness back to the UK charts. Along with male-fronted bands such as Keane, Maroon 5 and the Scissor Sisters, who have both enjoyed great success with their debut albums, I have to say that so far this year I am impressed with the majority of music. And then there's Snow Patrol...

For me Snow Patrol are the greatest 'new' talents of 2004 and also proudly boast the greatest album of the year so far. With their third and latest album "Final Straw," this great band have exploded big time onto the scene. With two virtually unheard albums behind them, these boys zoomed in on their talents and emerged with one of the most promising albums in recent years. I initially ignored this band, thinking them of nothing more than another Coldplay rip-off (their music more than resembles that of Chris Martin's band) but since I bought this album I've seen them in a completely new light.

The UK's best radio station, Radio 1, have hyped this album more than anyone else and their mass appeal has paid off, resulting in a multi-platinum smash hit. Lead singer Gary Lightbody's voice on "How To Be Dead," the album's opener, sets the tone for the rest of the album. The morbid title is metaphorically speaking of a relationship that's dead in the water. The lyrical composition is catchy and the beat gradually builds towards the second minute. This is swiftly followed by the masterful "Wow." There's not a greater title for this song, because it simply makes you go Wow! The intro is ambiguous and rather distant before the drums kick in and the Placebo-like vocals take over. The lyrics are superb ("Everything we have is all we need") and the chorus is a complete rocking anthem. "Gleaming Auction" has a driving bass that you can hum along to majestically with a driving guitar. The lyrics are brilliant and I adore the bridge. "Whatever's Left" starts instantly after the last track finishes, and continues the trend in grand style. I love the lyrics and the catchy way they're arranged ("A feeling I've had, many times before") with the rocking chorus.

The first four tracks average around two and a half minutes each in length, giving a brisk-paced start to this fine album. Then things begin to change with the next song, "Spitting Games." This was the song that really caught my ear and determined whether or not I would buy the album. With its startling beat and brash guitars, the song is very Britpop in its approach. The lyrics are superb, and the catchy way they're arranged is just genius. The vocals are soft and very self-critical. Basically the guy is saying he's a loser and can't approach the girl he fancies. The verses build the foundations of the song, before the amazing chorus carries it up and away into the clouds. It's free and its visceral in its simplicity - the kind of song a truly great band would take ten years to produce. "Chocolate" continues the upbeat trend with its beautiful phrasing and gentle vocals. The guitars are very catchy here and the vocals seem to be raised by almost an octave, proving a refreshing change from the usual 'miserable' vocals. "Run" is the album's center masterpiece and was the song that propelled this band into the British spotlight. Yes, the song is very slow and the vocals are depressing, but the lyrics are beautiful and gorgeous that they outshine what may be seen as the negatives. "Light up, light up, as if you have a choice. Even if you cannot hear my voice. I'll be right beside you dear. Louder, louder. And we'll run for our lives. I can hardly speak at all. Understand why you can't raise your voice to say."

After that near-six minute musical masterpiece, "Grazed Knees" lifts the dark atmosphere. With its moving lyrics and gentle guitar it becomes a great chill-out song but ultimately not a highlight. "Ways & Means" opens with an ear-catching keyboard beat that plods in. There's a certain glamour to this song, a little camp-factor that makes it very theatrical. The result, ultimately, is a very cool and cultural song with great guitar-moans in the back. "Tiny Little Fractures" startlingly calls forth the ghost of T.Rex (Mum, your fave band!) and with claps and harmonizing aplenty, created is an album highlight. "Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking" is a rather strange song with vocals rising and falling amongst a background vocal-repeat of "I could do most anything." The album closes with "Same," which is rather reminiscent of Coldplay's closing song "Amsterdam" on A Rush Of Blood To The Head. It might just be me, but Coldplay are definitely seen on this song but that is no bad thing. This is a great ending to my favourite album of 2004 so far.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

I'm not sure if this album will still be my favourite of the year by December, as I expect the forthcoming album from Bjork to oust it, but it's still going to be high up there. America is, once more, oblivious to a great British talent and will probably go by unnoticed. If you're reading this now you must be interested and thinking of buying it, so just go ahead and do it! Major credit has to go out to Garret Lee, the album's producer, who often drops in shocking and swift blips and bleeps that catch the listener off guard. Overall this is a brilliant and refreshing album and needs no other excuse than the fact that it is brilliant. File under 'Essential.'

Snow Patrol's latest album, Final Straw, is the best album I've heard in a long time. Their work on The Reindeer Section's "Your Sweet Voice" has the same soothing, catchy qualities as their work on this album. Standouts on the album are "How to be Dead," "Spitting Games," and "Chocolate." The haunting chouruses are hard to get out of your head, but they are not annoying and you never get sick of them, so you don't mind when they're stuck in your head. The CD has wide appeal- I believe you'll like it whatever your age and whatever kind of music you like. If you like the Scottish/Indie/Alt/Rock bands like Idlewild and The Reindeer Section, you'll love Snow Patrol's Final Straw. If I could buy any Snow Patrol CD, I'd buy Final Straw. Importing the CD is cheap- it costs around $16, and it only takes about 12 days to be shipped to the US, and it is definitely worth the wait. When I went to http://www.snowpatrol.net/ to hear sneak- previews of the album, I was definitely sold.

After several solid albums in the UK, Snow Patrol gets some US attention with their breakout album, "Final Straw." Their melancholy rock'n'roll has a sort of chilly, late-autumn sound and a lot of songs about falling-out with lovers, but avoids being the cliched, whiny album about The End of the Band Leader's Relationship.

"Run" serves as the most polished, radio-oriented song -- smooth and vaguely Coldplayish -- but songs like "Run" and "Spitting Games" take a different tack: More rough indie-rock with some wicked basslines and a solid rhythm. The most musically rich song is "Ways and Means," a magnificent, slow-grinding song that includes violins, synths and cymbals.

As this is a dual disc album, one side of it is a DVD, containing music videos for three of the songs ("Chocolate," "Spitting Games" and "Run"), two versions of surround sound and stereo, a photo gallery, an interview, a bio of the band, and more. For fans of Snow Patrol it's probably well worth it.

Snow Patrol don't really forge any new paths into the world of rock music. Most of their songs are rooted in gritty indie-rock bands, as well as some classics like Pink Floyd. But they do have a solid, engaging style, in the form of a "message": Gary Lightbody seems to be asking his lovers to please, please, PLEASE understand him.

The songs almost border on dance music sometimes -- some strings, barely-restrained chugging guitars, solid basslines and the occasional lovely roll of electronic sound serve to contrast the melancholy tone. It seems a little weird to have such musically upbeat instrumentation while singing about being drenched in the rain. But it saves "Final Straw" from being yet another mopey pop album about The End of the Relationship.

Gary Lightbody's vocals sometimes get buried under the drums; they are best highlighted in songs like "Run," where the sound is lower-key. They do need serious help with some of the songwriting. "My heart is bursting in your perfect eyes/ As blue as oceans and as pure as skies." While these songs have an earnestly sweet quality, it can't be denied that the writing is pretty banal.

"Final Straw" is a solid album, but it leaves one with the impression that Snow Patrol can -- and probably will -- do even better. While this bittersweet breakout is destined to be quite popular, it probably deserves it.

i've been a fan of hip hop for years but in the last few years,i've been getting into rock and alternative.i'm a brother.with that said,this album is awesome.i just can't stop listening to it.it's ridiculous. first of,gary lightbody's vocals are some of the best i ever heard in any genre.he just has a way of drawing the listener in with his lyrics effortlessly. second,there was only two tracks i didn't like.i can't get whatever's left,ways and means,and tiny little fractures out of my head.on top of that,gleaming auction was brilliant,somewher a clock is tickling is epic.i could picture scenarios when listening to it.that's the thing with this album.it just sticks in your head and doesn't let go.i have all of their albums and i gotta say final straw is their best.in fact after listening to snow patrol, i can't listen to coldplay no more.they sound bland.please get this cd.i'm done

Snow Patrol's breakthrough album "Final Straw" is one you'll definitely want to have in your collection (if you don't already) for any indie/alternative music fans or any music fans, really.

I first heard the track "How To Be Dead" after I downloaded it from hearing about this band from a friend, and I was hooked on the song. I listened to it on my playlist for several months, and then when I was at the CD store and I found their CD, and bought it right away. I have not stopped listening to it since the 2 weeks ago that I bought it. I bring it everywhere, I listen to it in my room, in the kitchen, on the computer, in the car, when I go to a friend's house, at work, and I even hook up my stereo in the bathroom when I shower to listen to it. I simply cannot stop. Every track is brilliant and catchy, and the lyrics are great. They sound like a mix between Switchfoot and Death Cab For Cutie. I can't list any favorite songs because they are all amazing on their own.

All of my friends I show this band to like them, and you will too!