Keane - Under The Iron Sea (2006)

 

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This, Keane's 2nd album album, is a less hit-ridden affair but the songs are almost equally strong. I am currently half-way through it with 'Put It Behind You' which is starting to slightly grate on me. I enjoyed the first 5 songs but then 'Hamburg Song' came on and it isn't very enjoyable. There's nothing to really grab you and some say Keane make more intelligent music than Coldplay but that is debatable. Sure, there is more spacey keyboard playing but do the means justify the end if all we get is a pretty boring ride of sound of 12 songs. I'm afraid they really are a 2nd rate Coldplay, as the enjoyment....wait, Crystal Ball has just come on and I really like the chorus, I even seem to remember it being on the radio all that time ago. My mum's verdict has said that 'Coldfeet' have a more serious sound, whereas Keane are more light which is strange as I don't think of happiness when I remember the dirges almost they produced which were on the first album. This one too, with it's dark metal-alluding dreamy cover doesn't come up with the sunshine but they are some moments of could you call it resolution or peace. There is a bit more conflict in the lyrics of Keane than that of Coldplay...with an escapist drama quality which sometimes becomes too sappy for me. And yet again, the voice is earnest enough to lend some of the emotion credibility. And this gives the album some credibility but is there enough variety of emotions on this record to warrant calling it better than the first. I wouldn't say so.

This album is one minute boring another second haunting and good, so it will probably end up in my average albums although there are just about more good songs here than bad ones. Just, and don't get me started on the Radiohead similarities!

Keane are an original band but unfortunately they often sound like other bands to their detriment. It's truly hard out there in the music world, and if the Pitchfork reviewer wishes bands would sound more like Franz Ferdinand, then I would say that Keane are not merely followers, but they are not also not quite innovators. They are something in between, and fit the times quite well, creating a sound which in my opinion was quite a dull decade for pop and piano rock. 

Chosen song: Crystal Ball