Snow Patrol - Set The Fire To The Third Bar (Polydor )
UK release date: 13 November 2006
Snow Patrol may be the new Coldplay, but are we any less sick of the latter than we were two years ago? The truism that familiarity breeds contempt does not make exceptions, even for good music.
Make no mistake about it. While Set The Fire To The Third Bar is formulaic through and through, it is a beautiful track. In true Snow Patrol form (the occasional misstep discounted), the single is artful in its simplicity and, if one is in the right mood, vividly evocative. The unfussy melody is bolstered by gentle strings and buzzing keyboards. Gary Lightbody delivers a characteristically raw vocal performance without sounding sappy or indulgent. Lightbody's vocals are perfectly complemented by Canadian songstress Martha Wainwright, whose arrestingly haunting voice is put to good use. Once the track begins to plateau, it reaches a timely conclusion with little forewarning.
While the track itself is immune from censure if it's your cup of tea, the band's worrying overexposure leads this reviewer to believe that in two months time, this rave review may need to be retracted. If Run and Chasing Cars are any indication, it won't be long before Set The Fire To The Third Bar is heard in the background of every single TV show, commercial and dramatic montage. Even great tracks overstay their welcome if shoved into every scene which evokes emotion, a phenomenon familiar to most MTV viewers.
Mainstream attention is not necessarily a bad thing, but once overexposure befalls a band, the damage can rarely be undone. While Snow Patrol may have reached the point of no return, one can only hope that Ms. Wainwright will not be taken for the ride.
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