Snakes and Arrows arrived on May 1, 2007 as a far cry from the wild and crazy effort that producer Nick Raskulinecz promised, but it was nevertheless a solid, enjoyable album.
If anything, it suffered mainly from the band’s attempts at covering so much ground. While Rush had formerly been so focused on a “sound” for each LP, Snakes and Arrows was all over the place.
They pick bits and pieces from throughout the band’s catalog, making for a fun listen when you’re in a particular mood but not an especially focused one.
What I respond to on Snakes and Arrows, more than many other Rush albums, are drummer Neil Peart’s lyrics. Unfortunately, they seem to be misunderstood by many as the words of a very bitter man about a very cold world – rather than what I believe them to be.
Instead, I hear someone attempting to show that while there are terrible events of every kind taking place, beauty and belief and justice can still be found if we would just trust in each other.
In the end, a unified message of hope tied an album of loose ends together in a fantastic way.
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