Eyes Open
by Snow Patrol
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. Billboard
    40
    Snow Patrol suddenly sounds like a cross between Goo Goo Dolls and Train.
  2. Blender
    60
    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]
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  3. Drowned In Sound
    60
    To sum them up in one word, "reliable" would be the most appropriate.
  5. Mojo
    60
    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]
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  6. musicOMH.com
    60
    Eyes Open takes the formula of the last album and magnifies it.
  7. New Musical Express (NME)
    60
    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.
  8. NOW Magazine
    40
    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.
  9. Observer Music Monthly
    60
    Big, bold, cleverly-executed, thoroughly hollow stuff.
  10. PopMatters
    40
    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.
  11. Prefix Magazine
    50
    Anything that was either subtle or complicated has been erased to provide ready-made heart-on-sleeve love songs.
  12. Rolling Stone
    60
    Stronger songs could have elevated it past mere prettiness.
  13. Spin
    40
    Overreaches. [Jul 2006, p.88]
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  14. Uncut
    60
    So much of Eyes Open is nearly, but not quite. [Jun 2006, p.114]
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  15. Under The Radar
    40
    Snow Patrol got it all wrong with this album. [Summer 2006, p.93]
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Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Most Discussed Album of 2006

User Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. davim
    Apr 30, 2015
    5
    Probably the best example of an album that starts and finishes strongly, yet dies a painful death in the middle. Openers 'You're All I Have'Probably the best example of an album that starts and finishes strongly, yet dies a painful death in the middle. Openers 'You're All I Have' and 'Hands Open' give them album character, yet this character is quickly blown away by the dull tracks in the middle of the albums such as 'It's Beginning To Get To Me' and 'Make This Go On Forever' that drag on and send you to sleep. The penultimate track 'Open Your Eyes' is the standout track on the album, and gives the album a near-epic finish. In 2006, a very good year for British indie music, 'Eyes Open' was definitely not a stand out album by any means.… Full Review »
  2. Ricko
    May 24, 2012
    8
    The follow up to their breakthrough record Final Straw has a bulkier sound and marks a progression from Indie Rock band to Stadium (or at theThe follow up to their breakthrough record Final Straw has a bulkier sound and marks a progression from Indie Rock band to Stadium (or at the very least large Arena) Rock. I believe it was recorded after the band did a bit of touring with U2 and you can tell they were taking notes at the side of the stage. Like many U2 albums, Eyes Open is undeniably a good record with lots of strong tracks but what I find with this (again like many U2 albums) is that it's not a record I find myself going back to very often. It's music made for mass consumption that can be enjoyed instantly rather than music that you keep finding new layers of beauty in years after first hearing it.… Full Review »
  3. [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 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.… Full Review »
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