Songs for Polarbears | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 31 August 1998 | |||
Recorded | 1996–1997 | |||
Studio | Chamber Studios, Edinburgh | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:49 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Jamie Watson | |||
Snow Patrol chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Songs for Polarbears | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
NME | 8/10 [3] |
PopMatters | [4] |
Pitchfork Media | (8.1/10) [5] |
Rolling Stone | [6] |
Songs for Polarbears is the debut studio album by the Scottish-Northern Irish indie rock group Snow Patrol, released on 31 August 1998 in the UK and 12 October in the US. [7]
The album charted at #143 in the UK and did not sell well upon its initial release. However, its re-release eventually went Gold in the UK.
The band was listening to a diverse range of music at the time, with majority of it being American rock like Pixies, Soundgarden and Dinosaur Jr. Other acts included My Bloody Valentine and Super Furry Animals' first album Fuzzy Logic . [8] All these influences resulted in a musically diverse album that incorporated styles like hip hop, drone and Pavement-style indie rock. [9] The album title is a reference to the band's previous name Polarbear. [10]
All lyrics are written by Gary Lightbody; all music is composed by Gary Lightbody and Mark McClelland
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Downhill from Here" | 3:23 |
2. | "Starfighter Pilot" | 3:19 |
3. | "The Last Shot Ringing in My Ears" | 4:26 |
4. | "Absolute Gravity" | 2:45 |
5. | "Get Balsamic Vinegar...Quick You Fool" | 3:27 |
6. | "Mahogany" | 2:46 |
7. | "NYC" | 4:27 |
8. | "Little Hide" | 2:41 |
9. | "Make Up" | 2:12 |
10. | "Velocity Girl" | 4:37 |
11. | "Days Without Paracetamol" | 3:32 |
12. | "Fifteen Minutes Old" | 3:08 |
13. | "Favourite Friend" | 2:46 |
14. | "One Hundred Things You Should Have Done in Bed" | 2:11 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
15. | "I Could Stay Away Forever" | 4:28 |
16. | "Sticky Teenage Twin" | 2:08 |
17. | "Holy Cow" | 1:54 |
18. | "When You're Right, You're Right" (Darth Vader Bringing in His Washing Mix) | 3:31 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
15. | "Sticky Teenage Twin" | 2:08 |
16. | "Limited Edition" | 2:33 |
17. | "Jj" | 1:47 |
18. | "My Last Girlfriend" | 2:59 |
19. | "T.M.T." | 2:51 |
20. | "I Could Stay Away Forever" | 4:28 |
21. | "When You're Right, You're Right" (Darth Vader Bringing in His Washing Mix) | 3:31 |
22. | "Raze the City" | 4:20 |
23. | "Riot, Please" | 2:52 |
Snow Patrol
Other personnel
Chart (1998–2006) | Peak position |
---|---|
Irish Albums Chart [13] | 90 |
UK Albums Chart [14] | 143 |
Organization | Level | Date [15] |
---|---|---|
BPI (UK) | Silver | 3 February 2006 |
BPI (UK) | Gold | 15 June 2007 |
The Reindeer Section are a Scottish indie rock supergroup formed in 2001 by Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, which released albums and gigged in 2001 and 2002.
Snow Patrol are a rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. The band consists of Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly, and Johnny McDaid ; Lightbody is the band's sole remaining original member.
Final Straw is the third studio album and major-label debut by Scottish-Northern Ireland rock band Snow Patrol, released on 4 August 2003 in the United Kingdom and Ireland and in 2004 in the United States. The album is notable for bringing the band their first mainstream success outside of their native countries of Northern Ireland and Scotland. In the 14 months following its release, a total of 5 singles were drawn from it. It is the first album to feature lead guitarist Nathan Connolly and the last to feature bassist Mark McClelland.
When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up is the second album by the Scottish-Northern Irish indie rock band Snow Patrol, released on 24 April 2001 in the UK and 5 March in the US.
Starfighter Pilot is the debut EP from Snow Patrol, on the Electric Honey label, released on 15 June 1997. The EP was released under the name Polarbear, the band's second name after Shrug. The name Polarbear was later changed to Snow Patrol because the band had discovered the existence of another group with that name.
Eyes Open is the fourth studio album by Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. Produced by Jacknife Lee, it was released in the UK on 1 May 2006, and 9 May 2006 in the US. It was the band's first album without bassist Mark McClelland and the first to feature bassist Paul Wilson and keyboardist Tom Simpson. Recording for the album took place between October and December 2005 at Grouse Lodge Studios in Ireland, The Garage in Kent, and The Garden and Angel Recording Studios, both in London.
"Chocolate" is a song by UK alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It was released as the third single from their third studio album, Final Straw. The music for the track was written by all four members of the band, while the lyrics are by lead vocalist Gary Lightbody.
Gareth John Lightbody is a Northern Irish musician from Northern Ireland. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He has also founded the musical supergroups The Reindeer Section and Tired Pony.
Tom Simpson is a Scottish DJ and musician, best known as the former keyboardist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol. Having been with Snow Patrol as a touring member since 1996, he became a permanent member in 2005, before leaving in August 2013.
Mark Peter McClelland is a Northern Irish musician known best as the former bass guitarist of the band Snow Patrol. McClelland is a recipient of the Ivor Novello Award for his work on the album Final Straw. He is now the bassist for alternative act Little Doses.
"Starfighter Pilot" was the fourth single released by Snow Patrol, and the second track on their debut album Songs for Polarbears. The lyrics were written by Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Lightbody and the other two members of Snow Patrol at the time, Mark McClelland and Jonny Quinn. The song reached number 161 on the UK Singles Chart.
A Hundred Million Suns is the fifth album by Scottish-Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. The album was written by Snow Patrol and was produced by longtime producer Jacknife Lee, who has previously produced albums for Bloc Party, R.E.M., and U2. The songs were recorded through the summer of 2008 in Hansa Studios in Berlin and Grouse Lodge Studios in Ireland. The album was released in Ireland on 24 October 2008, on 25 October in Australia, on 27 October in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe and in the US on 28 October.
"Take Back the City" is a song from alternative rock band Snow Patrol's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns. It was released as the lead single from the album on different dates in October 2008, depending on the region. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song has positive lyrics, and is about Lightbody's love for Belfast. The song has been officially remixed once, by Lillica Libertine, and it appeared as a B-side to the single.
"Crack the Shutters" is a song from Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns. It was released as the follow-up single to "Take Back the City" on different dates in December 2008 depending on the region, and was the second single taken from the album. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song was described by lyricist Lightbody as the purest love song he'd ever written. The single was received generally positively by music critics, the lyrics and vocals being praised in particular.
"If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" is a song by alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It is the opening track on their fifth album A Hundred Million Suns, and was released as its third single on 8 March 2009. The music was composed by Snow Patrol, with frontman Gary Lightbody writing the lyrics. The song is a departure from Lightbody's frequent attempts at diagnosing his less positive personal issues, which often focus on his romantic breakups, and instead celebrates a newfound love outside human relationships.
"The Planets Bend Between Us" (or "The Planets Bend Between Us (For You)") is a song from alternative rock band Snow Patrol's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns. It was released as the follow-up single to "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" on 24 May 2009. It was the fourth single taken from the album. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song is about Lightbody's beach house in Belfast. The single featured a re-working of the album version and was released as a digital download only. It was later included on the band's 2009 compilation album Up to Now.
Little Doses are a Scottish alternative rock band from Edinburgh, Scotland, who were formed in 2006. The band comprises lead vocalist Kirsten Ross, Mark McClelland on bass guitar, Michael Branagh on drums and backing vocals, Chris Alderson and Mike Skinner on guitar. They released their debut album, Rock Riot Soul on McClelland's Black Ditto Recordings label in March 2012.
"An Olive Grove Facing the Sea" is a song from Snow Patrol's second album When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up. A re-recorded version featuring only vocalist Gary Lightbody's singing and guitar was released on the bands' 2009 compilation album Up to Now, and was later released digitally as the second single from the album.
The Place We Ran From is the debut album by the alternative rock/alt country supergroup Tired Pony, released on July 5, 2010, through Polydor/Fiction in the United Kingdom and on July 28, 2010, in the United States by Mom and Pop. The album grew from what was initially a solo project for Snow Patrol songwriter Gary Lightbody which rapidly became a collaboration with members of Belle and Sebastian, R.E.M., and producer Jacknife Lee joining as well as contributions from actress and singer Zooey Deschanel, guitarist M. Ward, and Tom Smith of the indie rock group Editors. The tracks were recorded over the course of one week in January 2010, in Portland, Oregon. The album was recorded over the course of one week in January 2010 and charted in over a half dozen countries.
Wildness is the seventh studio album by Northern Irish-Scottish rock band Snow Patrol. The album was released on 25 May 2018. It is their first album with Johnny McDaid as a full member of the band, after his involvement as a guest musician and songwriter on Fallen Empires and participation in its tour. It was also the last album feature bassist Paul Wilson and drummer Jonny Quinn who both left the band in September 2023.