Now is the perfect time for Americans to open their eyes to Snow Patrol. With bands like the Fray and Coldplay constantly streaming the airwaves, there could not be a better time for this indie rock band to make a name for themselves. They've been around for 12 years and their fourth album Eyes Open is likely to be just the boost they needed to become a household name.

Snow Patrol is one of those bands that you feel as if you know personally the second you put in their album. Their songs surround you pulling you in note by note and their intimate lyrics make it impossible for you to turn away. With lyrics like "I need your grace to remind me to find my own" or "For once I want to be the car crash, not just the traffic jam," Gary Lightbody, Snow Patrol lead singer and frontman, outdoes his Final Straw days taking the words and lyrical environment of his songs to a new level on Eyes Open.

The album kicks off with the airy, driving force of "You're All I Have." This song displays most of what makes up Snow Patrol. The upbeat tempo, heartfelt lyrics, and open feel of "You're All I Have" only make you eager to listen to see what is up next. Luckily, the second track "Hands Open" kicks it up a notch in true mix tape fashion and is appropriately followed by my favorite track, a poignant and
telling heartbreaker entitled "Chasing Cars." If you were not a Snow Patrol fan before hearing these first three, stop listening now because 1. You're crazy and 2. You won't like the rest of the album which shapes up to be a variation of each of these themes. The remaining 8 tracks keep the overall feel and flow of the album ending at "The Finish Line," a perfectly slow and soothing closer for Eyes Open.

Nearly three years after the release of Final Straw, Snow Patrol has made it worth the wait for Eyes Open. This album is sure to be their most successful to date. Open your eyes, ears, heart and mind to Snow Patrol, you won't be disappointed.