Granted, the similarities are striking. Like Chris Martin, Lightbody weaves emotional, sweeping tunes with a certain amount of studio sophistication. But Final Straw reaches further than that. Lightbody evokes (vocally and thematically) his hero, Sebadoh's Lou Barlow, balancing a sensitive loner's private fears with a tunesmith's pure pop instincts. While Martin brought sincerity back to the mainstream, Lightbody's intense songs are almost emo -- without the nerdish self-consciousness, of course. -- Tim Grierson
Snow Patrol performs at 8 p.m. Friday, September 3, at the Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $11. Call 954-564-1074.