SNOW PATROL: Wildness (Polydor)

Back after a seven-year hiatus that saw singer Gary Lightbody battle depression and overcome drink and drug problems, Northern Ireland’s Snow Patrol are unusually subdued on their seventh album. The introspective songs here are more subtle and less immediate than before, but Empress is an engaging rock anthem in the style of their Noughties’ hits Run and chasing cars, and Soon (inspired by Lightbody’s father’s struggle with dementia) tackles a difficult subject with sensitivity. ★★★✩✩