Eyes Open, Snow Patrol, A&M Records * * * *

For all those current Snow Patrol fans still rocking out to albums of years’ past, there is a new disc for the wish list. For all those fond of Coldplay, Aqualung and Death Cab for Cutie who are unfamiliar with these Irish indie rockers, prepare to be wowed. Released earlier this month, Eyes Open is a typical, yet satisfying, follow-up to the group’s most successful release to date, Final Straw. This hot talent is comprised of five members: Gary Lightbody (vocals and guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar and backing vocals), Jonny Quinn (drums), Paul Wilson (bass and backing vocals) and Tom Simpson (samples and keys), the last two of which are new additions since the Final Straw recording. Snow Patrol first opened the eyes of the popular music world with its single “Run” in 2004, which the favored teenage melodrama The OC featured in one of its episodes. A subsequent music video flashed across television screens all over the country. Another spotlight placement, this time of the newer single “Chasing Cars” in the season finale of the hospital melodrama Grey’s Anatomy, raised awareness of not only the band, but also its latest album Eyes Open. While Final Straw‘s appeal was grounded in simplicity and consistency with a sound all its own, Eyes Open floods the ears with variety and richness – qualities that are likely to please a larger crowd and frighten the current fan base that its favorite group of musicians is conforming to the industry’s standards. But fans should have no fear, for Snow Patrol’s quality remains constant. Many of the same themes from Final Straw carry over to the latest album: begging for patience and acceptance, hope mixed with frustration. But overall, these tracks scream desperate and selfless yearning – the emo twist that keeps them from falling into the mainstream pop category. Just like its predecessor, Eyes Open is stocked with tracks in which Lightbody’s lyrics address a lover. From start to finish, he sings of darkness, graves, coldness and ice that only his beloved can replace with light, clarity, life and fire; a few songs refer to cars, maps and miles, symbolizing a journey toward togetherness. Throughout, Lightbody is crying out for acceptance and reciprocation from the one he loves. The album kicks off with “You’re All I Have” in which he pleas, “Just give me something to hold onto” and is followed by a catchy chorus “With my hands open/And my eyes open/I just keep hoping/That your heart opens” in “Hands Open.”The true gem among the eleven tracks is undoubtedly “Chasing Cars,” which begins slow, steady and soulful and gradually picks up to shock the listener with a powerful finish. Once again, Lightbody incites his beloved to be with him when he asks, “If I lay here/If I just lay here/Would you lie with me/And just forget the world?” “You Could Be Happy” is reminiscent of a xylophonic lullaby and in the mournful “Set the Fire to the Third Bar,” a female voice accompanies Lightbody’s wailing – the voice of Canadian-American folk-rock singer Martha Wainright, to be precise. Both add to the album’s impressive and diverse mix of sounds. As a whole, Eyes Open is a feast for the ears and a great accomplishment for the lads of Snow Patrol. Just listen — your iPod battery might run out before you’ve had enough.