Snakes & Arrows is the eighteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on May 1, 2007 by Atlantic Records. Its total length is 62:50. The band's lineup includes vocalist, bassist, and keyboards player Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart.
Rush's previous release Vapor Trails had production value issues and was a very inconsistent showing from the band. It was an album that helped the band shake off their rustiness and get back into form. Snakes & Arrows has much better production value and has very crisp and clean sounding music in comparison to their previous release. It is also a far more consistent album in comparison to Vapor Trails.
Snakes & Arrows was a popular release as it charted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It has since gone Gold in Canada. The strengths of the album are its excellent instrumentals, the consistency of the entire album, the fact that there are no weak tracks, and Lifeson's guitar work that is very impressive throughout. The weaknesses of the album are its somewhat inflated run time, but other than that there are no huge complaints. Here are my thoughts on each track.
1. "Far Cry" 5:21 (10/10)
What an opener! Right off the bat, "Far Cry" gets this album started off right thanks to its hard rock and upbeat sound. Geddy's voice sounds like it did in his prime and Lifeson is absolutely jamming on the guitar.
I love the chorus to the song because of its uplifting lyrics of taking on challenges and just keep going. The bass is very audible and the drumming has a great presence on the track. I also enjoy the guitar solo due to its simplicity and really great sound effects.
2. "Armor and Sword" 6:36 (9.5/10)
"Armor and Sword" definitely has a more dramatic and slowed tempo feel to it. Geddy's voice sounds great and I really enjoy the acoustic guitar used during the track. To really contrast the acoustic guitar, Alex plays a big sounding riff during the lead up to the chorus.
The drumming is on point as we expect from Neil. The guitar solo is phenomenal as Lifeson continues the trend of increased emphasis on his guitar. "Armor and Sword" is a great track with a terrific dramatic feel and excellent guitar work.
3. "Workin' Them Angels" 4:47 (8/10)
I love the acoustic guitar again contrasting Alex's big sounding riffs during this track. Geddy's voice definitely does not sound nearly as good as the previous tracks, but he does not sound bad. I really enjoy the chorus though, it's simple, but very anthemic and effective. The song has a great catchy feeling to it and also employs some pretty impressive drumming.
4. "The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)" 4:07 (7.5/10)
"The Larger Bowl" is a song I have at times thought was one of the best from the album and at other times have thought the song to be fairly weak in comparison to the other tracks from the album. The chorus is extremely catchy and easy to sing along to.
There's definitely beauty to this track's simplicity. I love the acoustic guitar that compliments the more simple nature the song has. The guitar solo is really fitting and is yet again another one of Lifeson's more impressive moments on the record.
5. "Spindrift" 5:24 (7.5/10)
"Spindrift" has a very psychedelic feel to it due to Geddy's wailing vocals and Alex's ominous guitar work. The bass work is also very nice during the track. I love the chorus as it continues the trend of melodic and very catchy choruses. I like the powerful drumming from Neil that builds up every chorus in the track. "Spindrift" is definitely a track with some pretty awesome guitar licks from Lifeson that also bolsters some really good melodies.
6. "The Main Monkey Business" 6:01 (10/10)
"The Main Monkey Business" is my favorite track from the entire album and it also happens to be my second favorite Rush instrumental. The guitar riffs here are extremely impressive sounding and the bass lines are also very good.
The use of keyboard effects adds to an already great track. Geddy's nonsense humming (I guess you call it) creates melody. "The Main Monkey Business" is the most impressive track that Rush has released in many years.
7. "The Way the Wind Blows" 6:28 (9/10)
"The Way the Wind Blows" begins with an EPIC bluesy guitar riff. Probably my favorite guitar riff from the entire album that is full of good ones. I love Geddy's voice during this track and Neil's drumming is phenomenal as usual.
The acoustic guitar used during the chorus is a fantastic contrast to the much heavier riffs used in the other parts of the album. The guitar solo is excellent and continues the great playing Lifeson shows during the album.
8. "Hope" 2:03 (6.5/10)
"Hope" is an acoustic guitar instrumental that is very simple, but really fits well on the album. It is Rush's second shortest track in their entire discography, but it is very effective for the short run time it has and it is a joy to listen to.
9. "Faithless" 5:31 (8/10)
"Faithless" has a very nice peaceful sound to it. Geddy takes a very melodic approach to this tracks vocals. The bass and guitar really sound great together. Yet again the track has a great chorus, just like every other track on the album.
"Faithless" has a peacefulness to it that is undeniable to the listener. Lifeson has a great sounding solo that packs a lot of emotion to a very emotional song.
10. "Bravest Face" 5:12 (8.5/10)
"Bravest Face" demonstrates the great catchy lyricism and excellent acoustic guitar that so many tracks on the album. The chorus is really the driving force that takes this track to the next level.
Geddy's vocals are a little weird sounding during the verses, but he sounds outstanding during the chorus. Neil's drumming is powerful as well. I love the guitar solo that continues the varied and unique guitar effects that Alex uses during the album.
11. "Good News First" 4:51 (7/10)
"Good News First" is a fairly strange track. Geddy's vocals are really strange during the verses, but yet again are extremely effective during the chorus. The chorus is definitely what lifts this song from being pretty average to a solid track. Alex's solo is an absolute work of art and is probably my single favorite part of the song.
12. "Malignant Narcissism" 2:17 (9/10)
"Malignant Narcissism" is short and sweet. It's another instrumental that is so impressive, especially considering its short run time. The bass work is incredible and the riffing from Alex is very complimentary. Neil's drumming is powerful like every Rush instrumental. This song honestly should of ran a little bit longer, but is definitely a really strong moment from the album.
13. "We Hold On" 4:13 (8.5/10)
"We Hold On" is an excellent way to close an album thanks to its great upbeat chorus and its awesome guitar riffing and drumming. Geddy's vocals sound excellent again and the whole band really work well on the track. "We Hold On" is one of the catchiest and best songs from the album.
My Verdict:
Snakes & Arrows is a huge bounce back album for the band thanks to its impressive guitar work and Geddy Lee's improved vocals from the last few releases. Snakes & Arrows has a really great emphasis on hard rock and has significantly improved production value in comparison to their last album. I really enjoyed this album and it really impresses me how great these guys sound considering they were in their mid 50's.
