Following a lengthy hiatus,
Snow Patrol returned with
Wildness, their first album since 2011's
Fallen Empires. The big comeback was delivered with a sense of triumph, a hopeful spirit coursing through its tight ten tracks. During the seven years between releases, frontman
Gary Lightbody spiraled into a deep depression as isolation and loneliness led to a disconnect with the world and a severe case of writer's block. He recaptured his spark with human interaction, overcoming the depression and associated addictions with the help of his friends. Along with longtime producer
Jacknife Lee and new member
Johnny McDaid,
Lightbody and the band crafted the poppiest
Snow Patrol album to date. Their trademark wide-eyed yearning and brittle melancholy haven't been abandoned; they're simply overpowered by hope, healing, and acceptance, like an indie rock self-help guide. The inspiring opener "Life on Earth" patiently churns to life as
Lightbody sings "It shouldn't need to be so fucking hard," his urgency suffused with determination and assurance. These Life Lessons by
Lightbody continue on the encouraging "Don't Give In" and "Heal Me," a palpably uplifting ode to a friend who convinced him to quit drinking. Fans of
Fallen Empires' "Called Out in the Dark" will notice that the band push that dance-centric vibe even further on the funky "A Dark Switch" and the carefree "Wild Horses," two surprises that encapsulate the band's new perspective while echoing contemporaneous output by
Ed Sheeran and
Coldplay. Familiar callbacks to the band's earlier sound crop up on the aching "What If This Is All the Love You Ever Get?", wherein
Lightbody accepts his pain with solo piano accompaniment, and "Soon," a heartbreaking message to his father, who suffered from dementia. Album standout "Empress" is comforting in its familiarity, a sweeping and joyous moment that channels
U2 and
Coldplay at their purest and most earnest. Throughout
Wildness,
Lightbody pushes his message with evocative lyrical imagery and the consoling empathy of someone who has fought the battle and emerged triumphant. The result is one of the most comforting and relatable inclusions in the band's catalog. ~ Neil Z. Yeung
![Rock of the Westies [LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602557383119_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "Rock of the Westies [LP]")
