While ‘06’s chart breaking opus Eyes Open receives all the plaudits, Snow Patrol’s prior record, Final Straw, more than deserves its flowers, as it’s a blooming marvellous in its own right.

Created when Gary Lightbody and co. had their backs to the wall, this make or break LP transformed them from plucky contenders to bona fide heavyweights in a matter of months. Their smash hit single ‘Run’, in particular, proved that sometimes in music, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

It’s been 20 years since the release, and Snow Patrol have decided to re-issue the game-changing record, backed with a feast of bonus tracks including b-sides, live cuts and never before heard demos. What’s most striking, listening to Final Straw in 2023, is how evergreen it all sounds. The life-affirming hook of ‘How To Be Dead’ remains one of Lightbody’s best, while ‘Spitting Games’ still bops with the best of them. The bonus material is a treasure trove for devotees of the band formerly known as Polarbear.

The demo version of ‘Run’ still shines without studio gloss, and the live version of ‘Chocolate’ really captures a feeling of euphoria. A must-have for their millions of fans, this 20th anniversary edition delivers the final word on one of the biggest Irish albums of all time.

Out Now

Listen: ‘Run (Demo)’

8/10