Brit Band Keane Releases Sophomore CD – Under the Iron Sea
They have been compared favorably to another band from the UK, U2, and with justifiable cause. Let’s not forget that Keane was in the middle of turmoil while recording this album, nearly breaking up as a band and not finishing the album itself. All of those factors, along with the pressure of any normal band following up a huge hit, could have been enough to sink them. Did they succeed in their endeavor, or are we looking at a failure?
The Basics
The band Keane is made up of Tom Chaplin as vocals, Tim Rice-Oxley on the keyboard, and Richard Hughes on the drums. After a few years drumming around the London indie circuit, even recording a top single, ‘Everybody’s Changing.’ on Radio 1 for a week, they finally were signed by a big label and released Hopes and Fears in May 2004.
Immediately the accolades began to pour in. It has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and got them an invite to tour with U2 and appear with them in, among other locales, Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Besides being compared to U2, Keane’s music has been referred to with such adjectives as “simplistic, auditory genius, and full of energy” by critics and fans alike. The biggest compliment you can make to their music is that it is genuine music, songs and subjects that affect them and inspire them to write music for the world. In a time when being extravagant and brash is what plays in the music industry, Keane has taken the opposite road and found overwhelming success.
The Songs
If there are fans and critics and music enthusiasts who expected another album like Hopes and Fears, then it is my sad duty to inform you that this album is not it. However, that is not to say that the quality of the music is subpar to thir talents. In fact, I would venture to say that Under the Iron Sea has, in many ways, proven to be a far superior album to their debut. We aren’t sure when it comes to the sales, as it has just recently debuted, but in terms of musica style and evolution they cannot be defied.
The first thing you notice missing from this album is a lack of radio-ready songs with catchy hooks. While they are still very much a mellow sounding rock band, Keane has taken a departure from some of those light, pop songs and into a darker realm of rock. This may turn off some of the fans who are expecting songs like ‘Everybody’s Changing’ and ‘Somewhere Only we Know,” but for those of us who love music it will grow on you.
Once you get into the album, you’ll notice a cornucopia of sounds ranging from U2 tones to some darker sounding Coldplay and/or earlier rock ballad days. You’ll instantly get that feeling as you begin the CD with the first song, “Atlantic.” A strong song with some powerful lyrics and an incredible drum effect, it’s an edgy start to the album and sets the tone for the rest of the album.
Another reason they get the cmoparision to U2 can be found on the album’s second song, “Is It Any Wonder?” It’s a political piece with a message concerning the British involvement in the Middle East conflicts, specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan. They transition back to ‘Nothing in My Way,” which to me is an incredible song and one that people will feel comes close to their Hopes and Fears efforts. “Leaving so Soon” is a average track, good execution and a nice ballad but not in the level of the previous two songs.
The songs from there take a different approach, and from here it’s almost an album made as individual songs, not with a theme to follow. Another war song in “A Bad Dream,” which begins to draw the line at where it goes from being a political statement to being musical overkill. I understand that it’s their feelings and beliefs, so it’s excusable, and the song is based on a poem by W.B. Yeats.
The next two efforts are an exercise in contrasts. There’s “Hamburg Song,” which is an acoustic track that can be a bit long for some, and then the rock track “Put It Behind You,” which livens up the pace from the previous song. My one big complaint here is that as the album progresses from this point, the songs seem to drag longer and take on a slow march quality instead of the Keane that has frequented the first few tracks. Don’t get me wrong, I like “Crystal Ball,’ which has an incredibly catchy chorus, but they seem to be a prolonged innerlude on the end of the CD.
Overall
I think that in the end, this album accomplishes two things. It’s musical quality is second to none, and that can be heard with every track, regardless of whether or not the lyrics or band agrees with you or not. Secondly, it shows that they aren’t in this to make music that people will be familiar with. This shows a versatility and ability to write meaningful songs that get lost in our musical tastes today. I enjoy the album and although it doesn’t rank up there in terms of bands like Panic! at the Disco for me, it will receive some generous playtime in my iPod.
