Snow Patrol: Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly (vocals, guitar); Tom Simpson (keyboards); Paul Wilson (bass guitar); Jonny Quinn (drums).

Personnel: Jacknife Lee (harmonica).

Additional personnel: John Barclay, Pat White , Guy Barker, Mark Law (trumpet); Dan Jenkins, Colin Sheen (trombone); Ian Fasham, David Stewart (bass trombone); Stephen Wick, James Anderson (tuba); Evgeny Chebykin, Jocelyn Lightfoot, Kira Doherty, Richard Bayliss, Timothy Brown , Philip Eastop (horns).

Audio Mixer: Cenzo Townshend.

Audio Remasterer: John Davis.

Arranger: Avshalom Caspi.

Building on the success of 2006's EYES OPEN, A HUNDRED MILLION SUNS cements Snow Patrol's place as one of the premiere alternative pop-rock bands of the early 2000s. All the elements that made up the band's previous work--resonant-hooky melodies, crisp arrangements, and a searching, expansive indie rock feel--are refined and elevated on this 2008 release. In addition to strong songwriting and carefully balanced sonic elements, A HUNDRED MILLION SUNS plays to Snow Patrol's ability to balance commercially minded pop with an indie rock ethos, as ballads like "Crack the Shutters" and the lush, groove-driven "The Golden Floor" prove. Polished and well crafted from beginning to end, the band's fifth full-length is arguably their strongest, and puts them in the running for indie pop-rock stardom.