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Genre: piano rock/alt rock/power ballad Rating:  Check Out: “Hamburg Song,” “Atlantic,” “The Frog Prince,” and “Leaving So Soon”  myspace |
If you haven't heard of Keane yet, then you a) don't like Coldplay, or b) don't watch the music videos on VH1. This non-Harry-Potter British trio made its impression on the music scene in 2004, and they still hold us enthralled.
Their debut record Hopes and Fears featured Tom Chaplin's falsetto over soaring piano and light guitar. While Under The Iron Sea features the same atmospheric sounds of H&F, H&F's songs were inherently hopeful, no matter the fears. UTIS has little of that hope, if any at all.
Instead, UTIS is like a “fairy-tale gone wrong,” as keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley states. Every song deals with depression, disillusionment, and a lost of innocence that seems almost impossible to find again. As Chaplin was in rehab for the past few months, it's obvious that this disillusionment was not a farce created by their record label.
The crowning achievement here is “Hamburg Song,” which starts out in mournful organs, reminiscent of those old-time hymnals. The lyrics are just as timeless, speaking of a friend or lover who is in a one-sided relationship, and about to give up on it. From what I've heard, this song was Rice-Oxley and drummer Richard Hughes's opinion of Chaplin in the height of their previous success. You could call it Britney Spears’ new theme song, in a way.
Tags: keane, under the iron sea
