Snow Patrol’s newest album, “The Forest Is The Path,” is loud — each chorus is accompanied by loud drums and an even louder guitar. In this way, it feels reminiscent of the band’s early work and stays true to the sound that fans grew to love. However, with the introduction of electronic sound and layered vocals, “The Forest Is The Path” sees the band shifting into a new era.

Snow Patrol is most widely known for the 2006 hit “Chasing Cars,” after it was featured in an episode of  “Grey’s Anatomy.” The song was nominated for a Grammy and cemented the band as in the 2000s rock scene. Between then and 2019, the band released a total of five new albums, but none reached the success that “Eyes Open” had with “Chasing Cars.” Since the band’s first release, many members have come and gone. Nevertheless, Snow Patrol released“The Forest Is The Path” on Sept. 13 in the hopes of pushing them toward a fresh start. 

The album maintains a degree of familiarity in terms of sound. Navigating the changes to the band and the indie rock genre at-large, Snow Patrol’s new record struggles to establish a spot in its discography. It’s vulnerable, but the songs blur together sonically when listening to it as a body of work. 

While the band tends to remain melodically consistent, there’s an introduction of synths and electronic drums to some of the tracks on the new record. “Your Heart Home” and “Years That Fall” both experiment with layered vocals, creating a slightly new sound for the band, while other songs on the record seem more reminiscent of earlier hits, like “Hold Me In The Fire.” Although the album itself has trouble standing out, it’s worth commending the step Snow Patrol took with more crisp, polished instrumentals — the product of working with English producer Fraser T. Smith, known for producing artists such as Adele and Calum Scott.

The album dips into vulnerable topics for the band members. After being single for about 10 years, lead singer Gary Lightbody expresses his fears of love and relationships in “The Beginning,” singing “And if I made a mess of everything dear / By being scared of what you give me / I am sorry unequivocally / I just don’t know how to love.” Thematically, pain is present in all 12 songs on the album. For 50 minutes, listeners are taken on a cathartic journey through reflections on past relationships. Lightbody is self-aware of his destructive tendencies and is prematurely accepting responsibility for whatever happens in the future. 

The second half of the album relies heavily on string arrangements to highlight its lyrics, which Lightbody prides himself on. These arrangements are the only ways in which listeners can differentiate stages of the short work. Yet, the inclusion of strings retains the classic sound of Snow Patrol, creating a piece of music that feels familiar but moving. Despite the band’s hardships — Lightbody’s past struggles with sobriety, the band’s downsizing over time and the fight to find the creativity to create another record — “The Forest Is The Path” might be their most authentic record to date. 

“[It’s] more about time than it is about love — how time messes with our minds and our hearts,” Lightbody told iNews UK. “ It’s not linear”.

Lightbody’s mindset is exemplified in the song “Talking About Hope,” where he muses on the nature of a confusing past relationship — he realizes that “it’s not meant to make sense / It’s just meant to be said in present tense.” Lightbody doesn’t question the idea of this love, but rather how it has changed him into his current self. The solitary piano accompaniment that opens the song beautifully echoes this sentiment, creating a haunting instrumental. 

Snow Patrol is not trying to become a new band — the band is harnessing the nostalgia of their old sound while still introducing new elements that keep them interesting.

Contact Ana Marks at [email protected].