Album: Keane - Under The Iron Sea
The UK-based band Keane’s – existing of a singer, a drummer and a keyboard player – simple formula is extremely successful. Their debut album Hopes and Fears [2004] sold no less than 5 million copies worldwide, and contained hits as Somewhere Only We Know, Bedshaped and Everybody’s Changing. The band won several prestigious awards in 2005 and played all over the world, one of the highlights being the Live 8 charity show.
Now there isn’t a single day where Keane cannot be heard on the radio, gigs sell out fast and the band’s popularity has shot through the roof. The new album Under The Iron Sea entered high on the charts when it was released, passing albums from bigger names like the Red Hot Chili Peppers in some countries. Now this is odd. Is the new album of the Chili’s that bad? Because certainly a band like Keane can’t produce an album better than these legends. Or can they?
The first single of the album (in Europe) Is It Any Wonder? is a little more uptempo than your average Keane track, which raises the hope that the entire album has a little more beat than the debut. Unfortunately, it hasn’t. Like Hopes and Fears, Under The Iron Sea mostly contains sensitive, quiet popsongs, such as Hamburg Song.
To shoot the video for web-only single Atlantic, the band joined forces with Trainspotting director Irvine Welsh. The result is a very impressive film that lasts six minutes. You can download it on the official site, but that costs money. Google it, and you will find it for free in less than a minute. Other potential hits are Nothing In My Way, Leaving So Soon? And The Frog Prince, but this album probably won’t contain as many big hits as the last.
Verdict: Like Coldplay, Keane bores me. Their mainstream, easylistening popsongs appeal to schoolgirls, housewifes and worn out mothers, but not The Bullet. Give us RHCP anytime.