Final Straw

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For the idiom, see Straw that broke the camel's back.
Final Straw
File:Snow-Patrol-Final-Straw-albumcover.jpg
Studio album by Snow Patrol
Released 4 August 2003
Recorded February 2003
Studio Britannia Row Studios
Genre Alternative rock, indie rock, power pop, post-Britpop
Length 44:00
Label Fiction (UK)
A&M (US)
Producer Jacknife Lee
Snow Patrol chronology
When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up
(2001)When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up2001		 Final Straw
(2003)		 Eyes Open
(2006)Eyes Open2006
Singles from Final Straw
  1. "Spitting Games"
    Released: 15 September 2003
  2. "Run"
    Released: 26 February 2004
  3. "Chocolate"
    Released: 12 April 2004
  4. "Spitting Games (re-release)"
    Released: 12 July 2004
  5. "How to Be Dead"
    Released: 25 October 2004
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 73/100[1]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars[2]
Blender 4/5 stars[3]
Entertainment.ie 4/5 stars[4]
Entertainment Weekly (favourable)[5]
Pitchfork Media (6.7/10)[6]
PopMatters (unfavorable)[7]
Q 4/5 stars[8]
Rolling Stone 2/5 stars[9]
Sunday Tribune (favorable)[10]
Uncut 4/5 stars[11]

Final Straw is the third album by Irish rock band Snow Patrol, released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2003 and in the United States in 2004. The album is notable for bringing the band their first mainstream success outside of their native countries of Northern Ireland and Scotland. It is the first album to feature lead guitarist Nathan Connolly and the last to feature bassist Mark McClelland.

The album was re-released in the UK in 2004 with two extra tracks,[12] before being exported to the U.S. (without the bonus tracks). The album was also released on SACD and DualDisc with 5.1 Surround mixes.[13]

Background

The band's A&R representative Jim Chancellor explained the reasons for choosing rock producer Jacknife Lee to oversee the record by saying, "I wanted a record for them that was bigger and bolder and a lot different than their previous records. I wanted them to make a more of a rock album than an indie record."[14] Chancellor, Lee and the band chose fifteen songs to start working on out of an original pool of 24.[14] Critical to the new direction was Lightbody's development into a more rounded songwriter. "They played us some songs which were not indie. There were a couple of pop songs and then 'Run', which is an enormous emotional rollercoaster of a track," said Chancellor.

Recording and composition

During the first couple of weeks in the studio the band found it quite difficult to adapt from an 'indie'-orientated sound to a more commercially viable pop rock sound.[14] Producer Lee offered constructive suggestions about how to both simplify their songs and augment them with other sounds such as strings, and Snow Patrol proved very receptive his advice.[14] According to Chancellor, "Some bands tend to be more defensive about what goes on in the studio. Snow Patrol weren't. They were very much like, 'Yeah, we really want to be successful this time.'"[14]

The lyrics, all written by Lightbody are about failing relationships and break-ups. They were inspired by his personal experiences. Quinn, his longtime friend, says that he knows who Lightbody sings about in those songs.[15] The lyrics deal with the themes of relationships and politics. Lightbody has said that his "finally learn[ing] to write a chorus" was the key to the album's success.[16]

Guitarist Nathan Connolly joined the band during the recording sessions. He did not contribute much, as the whole album had already been demoed. He commented that he found it easy to start writing and sharing his ideas with the rest of the band, as he had a good relationship with the band before being a member.[17] The album's music incorporates distorted guitar, feedback styles, and the vocals are gritty. The band's sound on the album was described as being a "cross between the sullen folk of Nick Drake and the more punchy rock moments of Simple Minds and the Pixies.[18] Reviewing the album, Pitchfork described the performances as being based around "rigid, unwavering tempos that approximate dance music," created through looped sections of playing augmented with electronics. The first song, How To Be Dead, introduces this sound with extensive use of drum machine programming.

Release

A limited 20,000 copies of the album were pressed and released, all eventually selling by word of mouth.[citation needed] The album was later re-issued.[19]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Gary Lightbody, all music composed by Gary Lightbody, Mark McClelland, Nathan Connolly and Jonny Quinn except where noted[20].

No. Title Length
1. "How to Be Dead"   3:21
2. "Wow"   4:02
3. "Gleaming Auction"   2:04
4. "Whatever's Left"   2:39
5. "Spitting Games"   3:46
6. "Chocolate"   3:02
7. "Run" (Iain Archer, Lightbody, McClelland, Connolly, Quinn) 5:54
8. "Grazed Knees"   2:55
9. "Ways & Means" (Archer, Lightbody, McClelland, Connolly, Quinn) 4:47
10. "Tiny Little Fractures"   2:28
11. "Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking" (Archer, Lightbody, McClelland, Connolly, Quinn) 4:32
12. "Same"   3:54
UK re-release bonus tracks
No. Title Length
13. "We Can Run Away Now They're All Dead and Gone"   3:15
14. "Half the Fun"   2:54
iTunes bonus tracks
No. Title Length
13. "Post Punk Progression"   3:23
14. "Steal"   2:45
DualDisc version bonus material
No. Title Length
13. "Chocolate" (video) 3:43
14. "Run" (video) 4:20
15. "Spitting Games" (video) 3:52
16. "Sessions@AOL: Interview"   6:14
17. "Sessions@AOL: Run"   4:33
  • The AOL sessions feature frontman Gary Lightbody & lead guitarist Nathan Connolly being interviewed, and performing an acoustic rendition of "Run".
  • The dualdisc version does not include the UK bonus tracks.

Album in popular culture

Personnel

Other personnel

Charts and certifications

Chart/provider(s) Peak
position		 Sales Certification
Australian Albums (ARIA) — 70,000 Platinum[28]
Dutch Albums Chart (NVPI)[29] 49 —
Dutch Backcatalogue Top 50 (NVPI)[30] 4
Europe (IFPI) — 2,000,000 2× Platinum[31]
Ireland Albums Chart (IRMA)[29] 1 90,000 6× Platinum[32]
UK Albums Chart (BPI)[29] 3 1,500,000 5× Platinum[33]
US Top Heatseekers (Billboard)[34] 1 618,000[35] Gold[36]
US Billboard 200[29] 91
Organization Level Date[36]
RIAA - USA Gold 17 October 2008

References

  1. ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/music/final-straw/snow-patrol
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Blender review Archived December 10, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Sunday Tribune review[dead link]
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. - Note: Translation can be found here.[dead link]
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Appears as: "Using distorted guitar, feedback and gritty vocals, the band inserts lyrics with political and relationship themes." and "comprised of Gary Lightbody (songwriting, vocals, guitar and keyboards), Nathan Connolly (guitar), Mark McClelland (bass and keyboards) and Johnny Quinn (drums), Snow Patrol has a sound that's a cross between the sullen folk of Nick Drake and the more punchy rock moments of Simple Minds and the Pixies."
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ "Grey's Anatomy" 17 Seconds (2006) - Soundtracks
  23. ↑ "Bones" The Man on the Fairway (2006) - Soundtracks
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ American Pie Presents Band Camp (2005) (V) - Soundtracks
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Chart position on Top Heatseekers[dead link]
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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