Snow Patrol returns with ‘Fallen Empires’ in January

By Patrick Luce Oct 11, 2011, 13:57 GMT

Snow Patrol back with first studio album in three years. @Photo provided by Island Def Jam.

Snow Patrol is back with the new studio album ‘Fallen Empires’ – which arrives January 10th on Islands Records. The new album features the hit single “Called Out in the Dark” and includes appearances from Troy Van Leeuwen of Queens Of The Stone Age and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe.

‘Fallen Empires’ is the first new studio album in more than three years from Snow Patrol – singer Gary Lightbody, guitarist Nathan Connolly, bassist Paul Wilson, drummer Jonny Quinn, and keyboardist Tom Simpson – and was recorded in California.

Work on the album began late-2010 out in the Mojave Desert at Joshua Tree’s Rancho De La Luna Studios, then moved to a beachfront house in Santa Monica known as Eagles Watch.  Backing vocals on one track were drawn from the south central L.A. Inner City Mass Gospel Choir of Compton. 

Finally, the band hunkered down at long-time collaborator Garret ‘Jacknife’ Lee’s hacienda in Topanga Canyon, a former hippy commune that was once home to Woody Guthrie and Neil Young.  In addition to Van Leeuwen, R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe provided lyrical support, and eclectic Los Angeles singer-songwriter Lissie contributed vocals to four tracks.

In a press release, Lightbody stated: “We wanted to make a massively ambitious record. A record unlike any other we've made before… We started writing songs that were more playful, even rawer than before – we were brave enough to do what we wanted as a band, rather than what convention dictated to us.  It was tough at times, we were out of our comfort zone for most of it, but I think it's given us a great album.”

The album is described as taking its cues from LCD Soundsystem's ‘The Sound Of Silver’, U2's ‘Achtung Baby’, and Arcade Fire's ‘The Suburbs.’  Singles include “New York” (which feels like a festival moment-in-waiting), and “The Garden Rules,” a soundtrack to autumnal romance, written about Gary’s childhood.  “I’ll Never Let Go” (featuring the gospel choir) boldly takes the band into electro-dance club mode.