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Keane, the alternative band who aren’t Coldplay, are back
with their fourth studio album. Keane took a detour with a 2010 EP and it did
not quite fit with their sound, but Strangeland is a return to their original
roots with that alternative piano rock sound the fans know and love.
The first single released off the album was Silenced by the
Night, and what a single it is. It’s a classic Keane song and was the best way
for them to return; it is sweet, classy and oh so British. Lead singer, Tom
Chaplin, has upped his vocals to be stronger than the EP they released a few
years back. Disconnected was the next single which has just been released. While
it isn’t as fantastic as Silenced by the Night, it shows off their more upbeat
and synthesized sound. It took me a while to like this song, but now I’m hooked
by funkiness of it.
Strangeland manages to nail a 4/5 rating because the songs
which are good are fantastic. They are the songs you put on repeat all the time
because they are amazing. One of these is Sovereign Light Cafe, which,
incidentally, will be released onto the radio in mid-July. It is my favourite
off the album and the second best songs they have ever written – Somewhere Only
We Know from their first album is still the best yet. Another great song is
Neon River. It is a mix of the sweet Silenced by the Night sound and the more
synthesized sounds of Disconnected.
Unfortunately for Keane the songs which are not fantastic
are average and flat. It makes sense to have the pace of the album rise and
fall, but I feel Keane have let songs such as Black River and Watch How You Go
fall just a little too far. And, while I like the really fast tempo of On The
Road, I can’t help but feel it does not quite sit right in the middle of the album.
Just like any fan of a music act I wanted the next Keane
album they released to be the best. While Strangeland has some fantastic songs
which will highlight their career, the overall album just lacks a bit of punch.
I feel they are doing a bit of experimenting following and I look forward to
seeing them hopefully nail their mix of sweet piano and synthesized tempos over
the next year or so. Meanwhile, iTunes always has that button to put Sovereign
Light Cafe on repeat.
