This will surprise nobody, but I'm really digging the new Snow Patrol album, Eyes Open. Five reasons to like it:

1. He continues his excellent tradition of singing upbeat-sounding songs about thoroughly depressing things:

   We need to feel breathless with love
   And not collapse under its weight
   I'm gasping for the air to fill
   My lungs with everything I've lost

2. The lyrics name-check Sufjan Stevens (in fact, the album sounds a bit like a revved-up version of Illinoise)
3. It features Martha Wainright
4. It has large groups of people all singing at the same time
5. It has integrated clapping into at least one song. That's always good for a dance-along.

Also, I agree that Supermassive Black Hole, by Muse, is both very surprising and impressively good -- as the review mentions, they sound a bit like Goldfrapp, and frankly I'm of the opinion that there's a world shortage of Goldfrapp, so the more the better.

Are we going to get another rush of good albums released? Because it's about fucking time.