The music of Keane

I see Keane as one really underrated band. I guess this is because Keane came along on the heels of Coldplay. Then Coldplay grew to be so big and glamorous, think Gwyneth Paltrow, that people often forget that there are other very good alternative bands aside from Chris Martin’s group. It is also not because Keane is just a Coldplay clone. Keane has its own solid catalogue of emo hits.

The reason I guess is that Keane and Coldplay do have similarities. Keane, like Coldplay is a British band whose music is soaring, piano-rooted rock. Keane has a new album out, Strangeland and it is really good. So I think this is the right time when more people out here should know about Keane and be introduced to their music. Besides, I also just found out that I have all of their albums. So take a look at this list of Keane CDs available.

The Platinum selling Hopes And Fears from 2004. This established Keane’s very emotional style with piano-driven ballads like This Is The Last Time, Bend And Break, Everyone’s Changing and Somewhere We Only Know which is still sang in shows like Glee and American Idol. If you wanted a soundtrack for your heartbreak, Keane was very happy to provide one. This was named Best Brit Album at the Brits Music Awards and the second biggest selling album of the year in the UK. Keane also won as Breakthrough Act of the Year and got a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

Under The Iron Sea released in 2008 was a continuation of the emotional rock soundscape of Hopes and Fears, but was much better. Keane’s vocals and playing had more confidence, the vocals really soared and the band added electronica to the music blend. The CD was also number one in the UK, and marked Keane’s bigger US success with a number four debut in Billboard’s Top 200 Albums list and a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group for the cut Is It Any Wonder. Aside from this, the other standout cuts were Atlantic, Crystal Ball, Nothing In My Way, Bedshaped and the sweet laid-back Try Again.

Perfect Symmetry in 2008. Enter the floundering period. This is the album where it looked like Keane was going to succumb to using the electric guitar. They did do it with Spiralling but not that much for fans to think the band has sold out and lost its mastery of the piano. This was another number one seller with hit singles like The Lovers Are Losing, Love Is The End and Better Than This.

Night Train, an 8-song EP from 2010. Although this album also made number one in the UK, I honestly did not know what to make of it. The music was still good but not as involving. Maybe it was because Keane was in the mood for experiments and added hip hop to their mix. The cuts Looking Back and Stop For A Minute featured vocals by Canadian rapper K’naan while You’ve Got To Help Yourself had Japanese MC Tigarah. This was also the first time when songwriter/pianist Tim Rice-Oxley took on lead vocals in Your Love.           

Strangeland, the latest by Keane. Am I glad that these boys got back to their senses. I am all for expanding one’s reach, for changes and experiments. But I am also all for caring for a good thing when you find one. Keane was lucky enough to find its sound at first bat, the album Hopes And Fears. So fans expect to hear this or something similar whenever they play. Perfect Symmetry and Night Train were leaning into another direction, which they, thankfully did not follow through with Strangeland.

There are new touches here and there but this is really a return to Hopes and Fears and Under The Iron Sea and full-blown emo. It is also Keane’s most cohesive and most commercial line-up of songs ever. This is one of the CDs that you have a hard time getting out of your player. You just want it to play one and on.

Cuts included are You Are Young, Silenced By The Night, Disconnected, Watch How You Go, Sovereign Light Café, On The Road, The Starting Line, Black Rain, Neon River, Day Will Come, In Your Own Time, Sea Fog, Strangeland, Run With Me, The Boys and Its Not True.

Keane is songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley on keyboards and piano; Tom Chaplin on vocals; Richard Hughes on drums; and Jesse Quin on bass.