Snow Patrol: “Chasing Cars”
Yawn. Bereft of originality and blatantly an effort to re-create the magic of 2004’s mega-anthem “Run”, Snow Patrol turn in a numbing bore of a single, their biggest flop yet. Further evidence that lead singer Gary Lightbody wants nothing more than to be Chris Martin, “Chasing Cars” plods along with the overwrought vocals and tangible melodrama that is so often found in these over-the-top vanilla Britpop ballads. Unfortunately for Snow Patrol and those in the UK who will be forced to endure this song 20 times a day on British radio, it never really goes anywhere or amounts to anything. Sure, the strings swell and later the instrumentation drops out to force us to focus on Lightbody’s emotional final verse, but neither do anything to make the track feel any less cliché or contrived (rather, they only make things worse). Yeah, this is giving “Run” (which peaked at #5 on the UK charts and even charted in the US) a major run for its money as the group’s highest-charting single (it’s currently at #7), but Snow Patrol should really be held to a higher standard than this. I’m curious if any self-respecting music fans (or even long-time Snow Patrol fans) actually like this as anything more than a guilty pleasure; get at me in the comments.
MP3: “Chasing Cars” - Snow Patrol
The Hey Team, who are a self-described “Underground Resistance Unit formed to combat the vain and pretentious Hipster scene”, take this incredibly lame template and actually manage to make a remarkably good remix out of it, dressing Lightbody’s emotional whines up in samples (of everything from birds chirping to children playing) and glitch-pop booms and bips.
Bonus MP3: “Chasing Cars” (Hey Team Remix) - Snow Patrol [exclusive, holla]
Much like the song, the video is pretty and everything, but ultimately dissapoints. Iceland’s Arni & Kinski, whose track record is more or less spotless to this point, direct here, but the video proves to actually out-bore the song. Arni & Kinski are pretty much the gold standard as far as stunningly beautiful cinematography is concerned, and while that’s present again here, the plot and concept of the clip are just flawed from the start. I mean, regardless of how perfect the lighting and natural shots are in the video, did anyone over at HSI (their production company) really think we’d get psyched to see a clip that consists solely of Lightbody (in order): wringing his hands, staring dramatically into the distance, getting drenched by rain, and, finally, flopping into the water. And also, considering Lightbody’s chronic blinking issue, extreme-closeups of his face and eyes as he’s getting pelted by raindrops may not have been the best idea ever. There may never have been a more boring treatment proposed in the history of videos. Despite my harsh feelings for the clip, I’m still posting it as this site gets a lot of love from Snow Patrol fans and I’m sure there are some out there who will still want it, despite my critical assessment. Recommended for insomniacs.
Video: “Chasing Cars” - Snow Patrol
Directed By: Arni & Kinski
Watch: [YouTube]
Download: [Quicktime] [iPod]
August 30th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Absolute agreement. Except a 4 seems generous. I thought ‘Run’ was a bit of a snooze too, though. ‘Chocolate’ is their shining moment - perfect video too. The funny thing about the ‘Chasing Cars’ video is that I saw it on MTV or VH1 a few mornings ago and they had the credits wrong, with the info for John Mayer in the corner, and it may as well have been him.
August 30th, 2006 at 3:27 pm
Haha, that’s great. It’s true, this track gets me about excited as any John Mayer song would (that is to say, not much), didn’t know it was getting airplay on MTV and VH1 though.
August 30th, 2006 at 3:33 pm
It’s pretty boring, but still one of the better songs on a pretty boring album. At least it isn’t as torturously long as “Open Your Eyes” or the aptly named “Make This Go On Forever.”
August 31st, 2006 at 4:22 am
Poor Snow Patrol. That song is unintentionally hillarious. It takes itself so seriously… even that “show me a garden…” line…
August 31st, 2006 at 9:55 am
[…] MP3 goodness: Good Weather for Airstrikes may not be a fan, but they’re hosting Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” and an excellent remix of it, too. […]
September 1st, 2006 at 1:21 pm
I’ve never been the BIGGEST fan of Snow Patrol, but I do quite like Chasing Cars. Possibly that’s just me, then.
September 2nd, 2006 at 12:06 am
i actually love this song
even if it’s complete bs i think it’s really great
this was the first time i saw the video
it wasn’t that great
i kind of wanted someone to chase a car in it
but alas no chasing cars in the chasing cars video
anyway i liked the remix but i couldn’t find any songs in the hey teams site or myspace kind of disapointing but oh well
September 6th, 2006 at 1:17 am
I actually quite like this song. My opinion is really quite the opposite to a lot of reviews here. I find Eyes Open much more radio friendly than Final Straw. The last album had some outstanding songs but some of them were really dull.
Snow patrol have always been about simple melodies and they’ve achieved that with “chasing cars”. It’s not a big sweeping statement or fun ditty, it’s just a simple song. Not my favourite song on the album but not one I’d skip either.
My only disappointment with the new album is the lyrics really. Final Straw had some awesome lines. I love the line in “How to be Dead”: Dr Jekyl is wrestling Hyde from my pride.
September 6th, 2006 at 7:45 am
I’m new to this blog but I’m having a hard time figuring out why you’d waste your time doing an entry on a song (and posting an mp3 of it, no less!) that you seem to despise so much. What gives?
September 6th, 2006 at 10:57 am
Unod, I understand your question, allow me to explain. Basically, we’re now doing single reviews, and if we were only to review songs we like, that would be a lot of 8 and 9 scores, and so to keep things fresh we also like to review songs that are very popular and will generate interest, but that might not necessarily get a good review. If that makes sense to you.
September 9th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
“There may never have been a more boring treatment proposed in the history of videos.”
Haha, too harsh. I mean, I can agree that both version of the “Chasing Cars” video blowed loads of cock, but did you forget that Panic! At The Disco VMA-winning video? Wow, boring treatments galore!
September 9th, 2006 at 9:55 pm
T, at least that Panic! video had a pulse. The “Chasing Cars” vid was dead on arrival.
September 14th, 2006 at 8:54 am
This review is spot on - Chasing Cars is four minutes of banality. It almost sounds like Gary Lightbody’s walked into a studio, pressed a button marked “Anthem, please” and had Chasing Cars pop out of a Bertha-like machine. And just in time for festival season too!
I also agree that 4 is perhaps one point too generous.
October 22nd, 2006 at 12:04 pm
The song “Chasing Cars” is meaningful. It’s about asking for forgiveness but in a silent way.
October 22nd, 2006 at 10:05 pm
I found “Chasing Cars” to be meaningful as well, but I thought it was more about asking for forgiveness in the most boring way possible. Your theory’s cool too though.
November 18th, 2006 at 12:33 am
ok, all opinions are respectable but… not being a great fan of Snow Patrol, I think that Chasing Cars is a beautiful song, and yeah, it’s an anthem… is that bad? as far as I can tell, great bands are supposed to write great sing along anthems… Coldplay has Yellow, Radiohead has Karma Police (and lots more!), Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Placebo, Iron Maiden, etc, etc. the list could go on forever.
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:28 am
chasing sports cars chasing sports cars
June 14th, 2007 at 5:20 am
This one makes sence “One’s first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything - and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”