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Stylus Magazine

Eyes Open is composed of broad, obvious songs with broad, obvious hooks, aimed straight for the hearts of as many people as the band can manage. All of this would be bad, horrible even, if it didn't work. But it does.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Eyes Open dives headfirst into mainstream waters, hoping the strength of its intentions will be visible through the glossy bombast. It is, but it takes some surface-scratching to reach it.

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The Guardian

Snow Patrol are poised to eclipse Coldplay as pop's greatest anthem-makers.

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All Music Guide

Snow Patrol's hungry rock sound only gets bigger and better this time around.

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Q Magazine

Snow Patrol are on their way to becoming essential. [May 2006, p.120]

E! Online

The band's naked ambition would be offputting if it didn't come wrapped in such resounding choruses.

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Los Angeles Times

With thickly distorted, deeply rumbling guitars blazing, the U.K. band comes roaring out of the gate on its fourth album, intent to hammer home the point there's more to it than the Coldplay-like romanticism of its 2004 breakthrough single, "Run." [16 May 2006]

Dot Music

As enjoyable as anything this calculated can be.

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Delusions of Adequacy

If there is one tiny flaw on this disc, it's the way some of the songs, after teasing us with intensifying waves of sound, tend to drift to an ending prior to attaining their destination.

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ShakingThrough.net

Eyes Open shows you the elements of a successful record, without the heart that ultimately makes it a success.

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Pitchfork

If Eyes Open lacks the vivacity of its breakthrough predecessor, it remains an assured example of a band still paying more than lip service to the notion of rock music as a vital pop form.

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Uncut

So much of Eyes Open is nearly, but not quite. [Jun 2006, p.114]

Blender

Over 45 minutes, it feels monotonous and preposterously self-pitying, but in controlled doses, it bests all the rest of the U.K.'s current wave of post-Coldplay bedwetters. [Jun 2006, p.145]

Rolling Stone

Stronger songs could have elevated it past mere prettiness.

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Drowned In Sound

To sum them up in one word, "reliable" would be the most appropriate.

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musicOMH.com

Eyes Open takes the formula of the last album and magnifies it.

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New Musical Express

Gone completely is any passing trace of the grubby, US college rock that made them so beloved underground when the real world wasn't taking notice. In its place, is an awful lot of big, blustery ballads.

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Observer Music Monthly

Big, bold, cleverly-executed, thoroughly hollow stuff.

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Mojo

Eyes Open hardly furthers Snow Patrol's rote one guitar attack, and repetition exposes Lightbody's interpretations of love's little hiccups as a tiring experience. [Jun 2006, p.108]

Prefix Magazine

Anything that was either subtle or complicated has been erased to provide ready-made heart-on-sleeve love songs.

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Under The Radar

Snow Patrol got it all wrong with this album. [Summer 2006, p.93]

Spin

Overreaches. [Jul 2006, p.88]

Billboard

Snow Patrol suddenly sounds like a cross between Goo Goo Dolls and Train.

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PopMatters

Eyes Open is far from a horrible album. It’s easy to listen to, it’s melodic, and it’s well-read. But you’re a strong (or naïve) listener if you can get past the calculation, the number-crunching, the crassness with which Lightbody has taken aim at the MySpace demographic.

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NOW Magazine

Unfortunately, singer Gary Lightbody can't resist playing it safe. He slides comfortably back into the stadium-size ballads and mushy MOR formulas that scored on their million-seller, Final Straw.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.9 (out of 10) based on 56 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
This has got to be one of my favorite albums of all time. It's true that the beats might sound similar but its the lyrics that really make it stand out. Also Lightbody's voice is truly mesmerizing.

Tim K gave it a10:
This album is wonderful. It has some of the most beautiful songs ever written, yet it's far from soppy. Great music in its prime.

Thomas Z. gave it a10:
Wow, this album is the most I could've hoped for. I had only heard Chasing Cars, which was great, prior to buying the CD, I was completely blown out of the water by Set the Fire to the Third Bar. I must've listened to that song 100 times in the last two days. It's so beautiful, insightful, and not to mention, great eerie accompanying vocals by Martha Wainwright. With the exception of maybe How to Be Dead on Final Straw, most of these songs take the band up a notch from their last album.

KG gave it a6:
meh it was a ok thought it was quite boring with some songs sounding the same

Jason W. gave it a10:
I Love It

Kristina T gave it a10:
Terrific. Outstanding. I LOVE this album. The best track has to be You're All I have. Amazing.... Love all of it, every single moment!

bruce b gave it a10:
this has to be the BEST and most awesome album ever made (and i don't just mean by snow patrol!) Buy it you wont regret it ever....

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Eyes Open

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