Snow Patrol – 'Chasing Cars' (Polydor) Released 24/07/06

‘Chasing Cars’ is the latest lovelorn dialogue scribed by Gary Lightbody. The second single from their chart topping album Eyes Open, it follows in the footsteps of Final Straw’s powerful and compelling romantic themes, of juxtaposed heartache and joy.  ‘Chasing Cars’ offers a key hole into Snow Patrol’s secret garden of petals and thorns, tree houses and labrinths, innocence and melancholy. Opening tentatively into a private moment between lovers, Gary ponders ‘those three words/I’ve said too much/they’re not enough.’ From their slightly more raucous days with Jeepster, Snow Patrol have reached a new sophistication, off the cuff there doesn’t appear to be a great deal happening to begin with, but the rhythmic variation of two notes played on a piano set against what could be a faint whisper from one lover to another; a barely audible whistle, it’s the creak of a little used key, it leads to the gradual inclusion of drums, more piano and then finally guitar, building the track steadily to an obvious if effective pause prior to the tracks musical climax.  The tracks composition speaks for Gary when he says, ‘I don’t quite know/how to say how I feel.’ A beautifully crafted track, poetic and quite simply brilliant.