Personnel: Gary Lightbody, Chris Glover (vocals, guitar); Tom Simpson (keyboards).
Audio Mixers: The DFA; David Kosten.
Liner Note Authors: Bill Brewster; Gary Lightbody.
Recording information: Farnham; Jacob Studios; Mayfair Studios, London, England.
Photographer: Bradley Quinn.
Snow Patrol's pop anthems don't lend themselves well to late-night clubbing, but the band's installment of LATENIGHTTALES is surprisingly moody, stylish, and fairly danceable. Produced by front man Gary Lightbody and keyboardist Tom Simpson, the disc weaves a narrative out of 19 tracks, finding the links that exist between Captain Beefheart, A Tribe Called Quest, and Allen Toussaint. The songs slyly bleed into one another--a result of the band's DJ capabilities--and the liner notes help shed some light on the band's selections. This being a LATENIGHTTALES release, there's an overarching emphasis on nocturnal ambiance, and the album's biggest strength is its ability to sustain that mood over the course of 60 minutes. A close second, however, is Snow Patrol's own contribution, an electro-acoustic cover of INXS' "New Sensation" that tones down the band's epic tendencies for something intimate.
Professional Reviews
Q (Magazine) (p.111) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[A] pleasing trawl through their favourite mellow tunes..."
Clash (magazine) - "Snow Patrol's Tom and Gary step up for the next LATE NIGHT TALES compilation with a few surprises....Prime for a quality headphone session."
