Snow Patrol, “Wildness.”

Snow Patrol rose to prominence in a time of adjustment, post-Britpop, alongside the likes Radiohead and Coldplay. Propelled by 2003’s “Chocolate” and “Run,” and 2006’s massive hit “Chasing Cars,” frontman Gary Lightbody and co. helped set the formula that combined earnest, poetic lyricism with grandiose, arena-swelling pop.

The band’s next two albums kept Snow Patrol popular in the U.K. and in Europe, even as U.S. sales and limelight subsided, but that hasn’t appeared to lessen the band’s appetite. Snow Patrol’s seventh studio album, Wildness, aspires to break new ground by using various facets of its familiar musical heritage.

As the comeuppance of Lightbody’s tumultuous bout with writer’s block, Wildness proves itself as a force unique to Snow Patrol‘s discography. After scrapping most of its first take, the end product became a surprising detour in which Snow Patrol can take pride. Unlike their past few albums, which could be confused for the generic Snow Patrol copycat sounds of the Fray and the Script, this outing implements a more vintage British synth-pop and post-punk, borrowing from Modern English’s rhythmic sensibilities and a dash of Morrissey’s vocal tenderness. Wildness embodies the maturation of Lightbody’s raspy tones alongside the overall Snow Patrol sound.

Snow Patrol has maintained an intrinsic knack for incorporating sweet sentimentality through simple and straightforward acoustics. Guitarist Nathan Connolly, bassist Paul Wilson, drummer Johnny Quinn and Lightbody seek to highlight the importance of a steadfast guitar riff with songs like “Life On Earth” and “Don’t Give In.” Although the group wears its Irish nationality on its sleeve, a bit of Simon and Garfunkel-style Americana folk seeps into the sound. “Life On Earth” lets the ringing of Paul Simon-esque strumming but retains facets of the band’s backbone.

Although Wildness often feels old school, Lightbody avoids cookie-cutter nostalgia. The quintet implements a modern relevance through well-orchestrated electronic beats, not forgetting the beautiful and unexpected string layers. “Dark Switch” starts out with some funky strumming blog the line of Britpop band The Kooks, but the chorus turns the song on its head with edgy violin; a representation of artistic evolution.

Snow Patrol remains incredibly knowledgeable of what its audience wants to hear. On 2011’s Fallen Empires, Lightbody’s resonant voice pulled on heartstrings on power ballads like “This Isn’t Everything You Are” and “New York.” Capitalizing on his power to bring on the waterworks, Lightbody provides some empathetic tearjerkers on Wildness. On the sixth track, “What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get,” he croons about existential questions, accentuated by softly stroking the piano keys.

The group chose to land the album with the sentimental closer “Life and Death.” Synth-laden harmonies and stuttering drumming evoke Snow Patrol’s deep-rooted sentiments in an appropriately powerful send-off.

Though the band ventures into some territory less familiar, its forays into the more electronic side of alt rock remains within the familiar home. Disparate acoustic instrumentation commingles with these embellishments to shed new light. The group toes the line of indie rock while still holding true to its drifting heart songs. Wildness will Make existing Snow Patrol fans happy while picking up some new ones along the way.