Album: Tired Pony, The Place We Ran From (Fiction)

Tired of penning consoling-arm-around-your-shoulders Coldplay-esque anthems with Snow Patrol (and hearing "Chasing Cars" on US TV shows, perhaps), Gary Lightbody sought a new "country" direction that reflected his love of Wilco, Smog, Calexico etc. M Ward, Zooey Deschanel and REM's Peter Buck all chip in.

So far, so promising. But the inescapable truth is that if someone told you this was the new Snow Patrol album, you'd believe them. Make of that what you will.