From the success of their first single, “Run,” to the overwhelming popularity of “Chasing Cars,” Snow Patrol has made a name for themselves largely as a crooner of heartfelt, melodic ballads.

However, the ballads or slower songs were actually a minimal part of Snow Patrol’s first two CDs.

They were simply complements to the more up-tempo rock songs that accurately characterized their sound.

Their new album, A Hundred Million Suns, is full of the types of songs they’re known for but fails to deliver the more up beat songs that made their first two albums so great.

While their first two albums had only a few slow songs to them, A Hundred Million Suns is split about between slower and up-tempo melodies.

In and of itself, this is fine.

The problem is that, while the ballads with which Snow Patrol gained fame had a definite emotional charge, the songs on A Hundred Million Suns are lacking.

Lead singer Gary Lightbody’s voice retains its distinct quiver, but the overall emotion of the songs fall ever so slightly flat, leaving the slower songs on the verge of boring.

A Hundred Million Suns isn’t a bad album.

But it isn’t a great album either.

The faster rock songs, which individually really are excellent, balance out the more lackluster slow songs, leaving the album at a constant level of good, but not great.

Die hard Snow Patrol fans should enjoy themselves, at least.