Spring Break
Keane throw curveball with latest album
Kip Mooney
Issue date: 10/17/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE
When Keane burst onto to the scene in 2004 with its trademark guitar-free indie-pop ballads, no one could have predicted the band would be writing 2008's ultimate party track.
Back then, Keane was being derided by critics as Coldplay knockoffs, but listeners responded to their lovelorn ballads, making its debut "Hopes and Fears" and 2006 follow-up, "Under the Iron Sea," two of the biggest selling and most beloved albums in history.
But not content to be pigeonholed any longer, the trio has returned with "Perfect Symmetry." The band has continued to have chart domination on its mind, but '80s dance and pop in its heart.
The transformation is as startling as Liz Phair's makeover from punk-rock pinup to pristine pop-rock goddess.
And like Phair, Keane hasn't changed its lyrics - just its sound.
In the past, Keane has opened its albums with soaring, mid-tempo ballads like "Somewhere Only We Know."
But "Spiraling" opens the album with wild keyboard and drum effects. Its "oohs" that lead into choruses and verses makes the listener aware of a huge thematic shift. While Keane might have been the nerdy bookworm the last time you heard from it, the band is now ready to party.
But don't be fooled. Unlike Poison, it's more than nothing but a good time the band is looking for.
The upbeat sound masks lyrics about heartache and selfish people.
"When we fall in love/We're only falling in love with ourselves," Tom Chaplin sings in the track.
Guess someone's still a little bitter.
Elsewhere, the band can be found enveloping its laments in accessible pop songs like "Again and Again."
"We say these words again and again/But they still sound the same to me," Chaplin croons.
The group also seems to enjoy experimenting with odd instrument choices. On its debut, its range was pretty limited as it only featured drums, voice and keyboards.
Here, Keane is tweaking right and left, using everything from a banjo to saxophone to a musical saw.
Personally, if a band can find success using those instruments, I say more power to it.
It's obvious the band has expanded its sound and capabilities from its previous album. While "Under the Iron Sea" was still one of the better albums that year, it was a definite step down from their stellar debut.
With "Perfect Symmetry," Keane is creatively climbing back to the top. Whether this sound is something it just wants to experiment with and go back to crafting exquisite ballads, time will tell.
But for now, enjoy the most unexpected surprise of the year.
Back then, Keane was being derided by critics as Coldplay knockoffs, but listeners responded to their lovelorn ballads, making its debut "Hopes and Fears" and 2006 follow-up, "Under the Iron Sea," two of the biggest selling and most beloved albums in history.
But not content to be pigeonholed any longer, the trio has returned with "Perfect Symmetry." The band has continued to have chart domination on its mind, but '80s dance and pop in its heart.
The transformation is as startling as Liz Phair's makeover from punk-rock pinup to pristine pop-rock goddess.
And like Phair, Keane hasn't changed its lyrics - just its sound.
In the past, Keane has opened its albums with soaring, mid-tempo ballads like "Somewhere Only We Know."
But "Spiraling" opens the album with wild keyboard and drum effects. Its "oohs" that lead into choruses and verses makes the listener aware of a huge thematic shift. While Keane might have been the nerdy bookworm the last time you heard from it, the band is now ready to party.
But don't be fooled. Unlike Poison, it's more than nothing but a good time the band is looking for.
The upbeat sound masks lyrics about heartache and selfish people.
"When we fall in love/We're only falling in love with ourselves," Tom Chaplin sings in the track.
Guess someone's still a little bitter.
Elsewhere, the band can be found enveloping its laments in accessible pop songs like "Again and Again."
"We say these words again and again/But they still sound the same to me," Chaplin croons.
The group also seems to enjoy experimenting with odd instrument choices. On its debut, its range was pretty limited as it only featured drums, voice and keyboards.
Here, Keane is tweaking right and left, using everything from a banjo to saxophone to a musical saw.
Personally, if a band can find success using those instruments, I say more power to it.
It's obvious the band has expanded its sound and capabilities from its previous album. While "Under the Iron Sea" was still one of the better albums that year, it was a definite step down from their stellar debut.
With "Perfect Symmetry," Keane is creatively climbing back to the top. Whether this sound is something it just wants to experiment with and go back to crafting exquisite ballads, time will tell.
But for now, enjoy the most unexpected surprise of the year.
Be the first to comment on this story