Eyes Open
by Snow Patrol
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 75 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 75
  3. Negative: 3 out of 75

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  1. TOL
    Jun 12, 2006
    4
    Have you heard final straw? Great, aint it? If the answer to the previous question is 'God, yes' then avoid this album. You have already heard it all before, albeit in a far more pleasant and rounded package with genuinely good songs... If you want to hear snow patrol at their most inventive, touching and humourous then dig out 'Songs for polar bears'- an album worthy Have you heard final straw? Great, aint it? If the answer to the previous question is 'God, yes' then avoid this album. You have already heard it all before, albeit in a far more pleasant and rounded package with genuinely good songs... If you want to hear snow patrol at their most inventive, touching and humourous then dig out 'Songs for polar bears'- an album worthy of everyones attention. If you want cheesy mainstream stuff with baffling lyrics and predictable hooks then buy eyes open. Easy really.… Expand
  2. AndyB
    May 9, 2006
    5
    It is not that this album is bad, it is more that it is far too much like Final Straw....hit a comfort zone, which is not necessarily a bad thing as the formula does work, but remember that this is their fourth (not second) album so you would think they would want to step up a gear by now. They even use the same lyrics in this album as they did in Final Straw! hummmmm
  3. BrandonM
    May 10, 2006
    8
    I too was somewhat unnerved by all of the
  4. DG
    May 9, 2006
    8
    I didn't think I'd like this after hearing about all the 'sell out' bashing - but I think it's fantastic and I couldn't disagree more. How could they sell themselves out?! They've already had chart success and all that shit! If anything they created something that is, apart from the first two tracks, wholly unmainstream (if thats a word!). I recommend it.
  5. craigs
    Jun 30, 2006
    9
    Nicely done. 80% of tunes are excelent and the others are pretty good.
  6. BTSchonewald
    Jun 5, 2006
    8
    You know what? After a decade or something pottering about aimlessly in the indie-rock quagmire Snow Patrol finally hit on something gold, and it showed on 'Final Straw'. It would have been so easy for Lightbody and the other members of the ol' Patrol to just dig out the old tunes from 'Songs For Polar Bears' and 'When It's All Over We Still Have To You know what? After a decade or something pottering about aimlessly in the indie-rock quagmire Snow Patrol finally hit on something gold, and it showed on 'Final Straw'. It would have been so easy for Lightbody and the other members of the ol' Patrol to just dig out the old tunes from 'Songs For Polar Bears' and 'When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up', maybe up them a flat or something just to make them sound a little different. Not for good old Gary Lightbody, who, after toting a wildly fantastically nerdy white-man's afro at Live8 cmes back to the forefront of British rock music with an album which will surely ensure that Snow Patrol dig into the Premiership of worldwide music. OK, let's not kid ourselves, there are some HORRENDOUSLY dull tracks, ie Open Your Eyes, but there are plenty of tracks infused with genius, from the lullaby-ish Shut Your Eyes, to the riffed-up rock of yore in Hands Open, to what Snow Patrol do best: big, bad, enormous, chest-pounding exploding-chorus songs like You're All I Have. By all means, if you enjoyed Final Straw, buy it; if your bag is more the artificial pop music of 50 Cent and Embrace and Busted etc, then please don't, because, quite frankly, you are not the kind of person we like here in the Premiership.… Expand
  7. JasonW.
    May 23, 2007
    10
    I Love It
  8. AndrewL
    May 11, 2006
    9
    This is definitly not a "sell out" album.
  9. JohnN
    May 10, 2006
    4
    This is a boring ballad filled album does not have the balance of Final Straw which kept your interest you just zone out after a while listening to this. Take out Set Fire to the Third Bar and it simply sucks.
  10. RickW
    May 15, 2006
    8
    I was not going to buy this album after all the luke warm reviews i had read, but my wife insisted as she loved the last one, and what an album! Sometimes i think the critics have got a stick up their a*ses. I didnt mind their first two albums but their were only a few good tracks. This album is full of excellent tracks that are melodic (some critics love to use 'ballad' to I was not going to buy this album after all the luke warm reviews i had read, but my wife insisted as she loved the last one, and what an album! Sometimes i think the critics have got a stick up their a*ses. I didnt mind their first two albums but their were only a few good tracks. This album is full of excellent tracks that are melodic (some critics love to use 'ballad' to dismiss). They deserve more credit.… Expand
  11. PeterV
    May 16, 2006
    4
    Really, people rating this album 7 or higher must be 16 or younger. This is such an easy pop-album..
  12. EdB
    May 23, 2006
    7
    On first listen, I was horribly disappointed. But concurrent listens reveal a complexity and depth to the music that makes it far more appreciable. More than anything, Snow Patrol seems capable of producing slick pop music with substance. That's no easy task by any means and, actually, quite admirable. I work at a news weekly and critics get bombarded with albums, often listening On first listen, I was horribly disappointed. But concurrent listens reveal a complexity and depth to the music that makes it far more appreciable. More than anything, Snow Patrol seems capable of producing slick pop music with substance. That's no easy task by any means and, actually, quite admirable. I work at a news weekly and critics get bombarded with albums, often listening only once or twice to a disc before judging it. I suspect those that reviewed "Eyes Open" poorly didn't give this album the chance to unfold that it deserves. This isn't a masterpiece, or anything, but it's a wonderful pop album from an increasingly interesting major label band.… Expand
  13. MattD.
    May 8, 2006
    5
    I don't usually use these words, but this does seem like a sell out album. There's monochromatic production here (even on a less radio friendly song like the duet,) and only "You're All I Have" and "Shut Your Eyes" have melodies that are memorable. There's nothing really bad, but what a letdown after Final Straw.
  14. WillO
    May 9, 2006
    10
    These guys just make amazing music. They get better and better with each album. Talk about progress! Got a new louder sound and it is GREAT.
  15. AngelaH
    Jun 11, 2006
    10
    just brilliant!
  16. willl
    Jun 2, 2006
    9
    great album. 3 or 4 standout tracks
  17. CraigP
    Jun 28, 2006
    5
    Unlike the new Guster album this one is a big letdown after Final Straw. they seem to be making they're bid for the big-time but what get's lost on the way are great tunes. I found myself quickly forgetting these song's after a few listens and found the polished production killed all that was unique about the band. There is not one song on here with the emotional resonance Unlike the new Guster album this one is a big letdown after Final Straw. they seem to be making they're bid for the big-time but what get's lost on the way are great tunes. I found myself quickly forgetting these song's after a few listens and found the polished production killed all that was unique about the band. There is not one song on here with the emotional resonance of "Run" or "Chocolate"for that matter. It may sound great but is quickly forgettable.… Expand
  18. KrisS
    Jul 12, 2006
    6
    There are some good songs on this album, but they definitely took a step back. After sitting down and listening a couple of times, it felt like they were more focused on releasing an album, then releasing a "good" album. There is so much potential sitting in these tracks that with a few more sessions could have turned around this album. In likelyhood it could have been on par with Final There are some good songs on this album, but they definitely took a step back. After sitting down and listening a couple of times, it felt like they were more focused on releasing an album, then releasing a "good" album. There is so much potential sitting in these tracks that with a few more sessions could have turned around this album. In likelyhood it could have been on par with Final Straw, but instead it gets left behind.… Expand
  19. Jorge
    Aug 14, 2006
    3
    Decepcionante
  20. AlexandrosV
    Sep 27, 2006
    8
    Well i think that a 65 metascore is a little unfair the album has a great deal of very nice songs like: Set The Fire To The Third Bar i believe is the best song of the album,most songs are way above average and a 65 metascore as i said above is unfair.
  21. Joris
    Feb 25, 2007
    9
    A welcome surprise. If you take out uninspired song like Chasing Cars and You're All I have (which aren't very bad but of which I really don't get the point of becoming (hit)singles, I always thought it were mere dull cliché filler tracks, but then again thats' me vs the mainstream taste I suppose) you end up with a magnificent collection contaning the following A welcome surprise. If you take out uninspired song like Chasing Cars and You're All I have (which aren't very bad but of which I really don't get the point of becoming (hit)singles, I always thought it were mere dull cliché filler tracks, but then again thats' me vs the mainstream taste I suppose) you end up with a magnificent collection contaning the following outstanding songs: HEADLIGHTS ON DARK ROADS (great guitar riff), SET THE FIRE TO THE THIRD BAR, HANDS OPEN, OPEN YOUR EYES and the Brian Eno-esque ambient trip THE FINISH LINE. Beautiful.… Expand
  22. ThomasZ.
    Jun 28, 2007
    10
    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 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.… Expand
  23. [Anonymous]
    Oct 20, 2009
    10
    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.
  24. josnt
    May 11, 2006
    9
    are you kidding me, andy b? this album sounds hardly like final straw. there is no "spitting games" or "chocolate" no "how to be dead" no "gleaming auction. this album is much more mellow and softer, outside of the poppy "it's beginning to get to me" or "hands open" the pacing is dramatically slower.
  25. GarthR
    May 11, 2006
    10
    Outstanding - Snow Patrol are the new U2!
  26. Dave
    May 12, 2006
    9
    Sellout? I don't think so. I'm so sick of of reading these reviews from people yelling sellout or they aren't "indie" sounding. Sure, this CD is more polished than Final Straw, but that isn't such a bad thing.
  27. Ninja
    May 15, 2006
    1
    This album is pathetically bland. If you're going to resort to lame lyrics at least have memorable riffs/beats.. this has neither.
  28. ChristinaW
    May 25, 2006
    8
    As a big fan of Final Straw, I was initially disappointed in this record, but after subsequent listens, it has really grown on me. Changing the single for the US release was a good move, although the rest of the album is better than Hands Open. Open Your Eyes, my favorite track, was a nice surprise on the first listen and continues to be a favorite. Listen to album more than once before As a big fan of Final Straw, I was initially disappointed in this record, but after subsequent listens, it has really grown on me. Changing the single for the US release was a good move, although the rest of the album is better than Hands Open. Open Your Eyes, my favorite track, was a nice surprise on the first listen and continues to be a favorite. Listen to album more than once before making a decision - the second time is definately the charm.… Expand
  29. Raindog1972
    May 30, 2006
    4
    A real disappointment...instead of branching out...Lightbody seems to be content to hold his ground,...lyrically and musically.
  30. BrianB
    May 8, 2006
    4
    I can't hear this album without thinking of Nada Surf's "Let Go,"which is in the same vein of cleanly-produced, sensitive-guy rock. but is an absolute masterpiece. Even "Hands Open," a pretty decent single, sounds limp is comparison to that album's "Treading Water." On "Let Go" the ordinary guy persona works; on this album it crosses the line to crowd-pleasing cliche. On I can't hear this album without thinking of Nada Surf's "Let Go,"which is in the same vein of cleanly-produced, sensitive-guy rock. but is an absolute masterpiece. Even "Hands Open," a pretty decent single, sounds limp is comparison to that album's "Treading Water." On "Let Go" the ordinary guy persona works; on this album it crosses the line to crowd-pleasing cliche. On the other hand, "Eyes Open" is better than Nada Surf's more recent album.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Most Discussed Album of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Dot Music
    70
    As enjoyable as anything this calculated can be.
    Read full review
  2. Drowned In Sound
    60
    To sum them up in one word, "reliable" would be the most appropriate.
    Read full review
  3. musicOMH.com
    60
    Eyes Open takes the formula of the last album and magnifies it.
    Read full review
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