Keane reviewed
Keane
Under The Iron Sea
(Interscope)
I think this is the new Keane album, and not a set of weepy demos.
The thing that made Keane’s first album, Hopes & Fears, tolerable was its fun quotient. Sure, it was mo-ped fun — great until your friends see what you’re doing — but there was bounce, a little joi de vive. Athlete’s first was the same way. But, like Athlete, Keane venture into more dramatic bits on their sophomore disc, Under The Iron Sea, and turn into the insufferable side of Coldplay. First single “Is It Any Wonder” and “Put It Behind You” give it the ol’ uptempo try but reek of forced maturity. Opener “Atlantic” is a bald Radiohead rip off, “A Bad Dream” is all too real, and “Hamburg Song,” with its church-like drone, hails the funeral. The last four tracks are highlighted in a separate color on the back cover, so maybe they’re Act II for Iron Sea? “Crystal Ball” has Keane’s former pomp but hopes are dashed when the Travis-esque “Try Again” seeps across the floor. Next stop: Starsailor.
— Steve Forstneger
Appearing: September 7th at Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
