f you were expecting another phenomenon like Chasing Cars, you will be disappointed. Fallen Empires is Snow Patrol's sixth and most adventurous album yet—we give them that much. But experimentation can go either way, and their attempt to put in dance beats to make lighter music fails to capture the imagination. Inspired by LCD Soundsystem, U2 and Arcade Fire, the Irish/Scottish five-piece gives Gary Lightbody's melancholic lyrics a more club-friendly touch, but it doesn't sit well. I'll Never Let Go and The Symphony begin with tardy pop beats, which come off as forced, artificial and aeons away from recreating their famous magic.

But on the other hand, if you're a die-hard fan of Snow Patrol's anthemic music, you'll find this one in keeping with their special brand of alternative rock. You'll probably love to twirl to Lifening, Berlin or Called Out in the Dark, which are sung in the band's signature gospel-ish style. Lightbody's lyrics are inspired at times, in New York he sings, "If the curve of you was curved on me/I'd tell you that I loved you before I ever knew you/because I loved the simple thought of you..." We'd like some more heartbreak and less heartburn from the patrollers, then.