Note to Marks & Spencer: Whispering over the top of slow motion footage of food doesn't make it tast...
Note to Marks & Spencer: Whispering over the top of slow motion footage of food doesn't make it tastier or any less fattening.
Member since:22.05.2004
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Most other reviewers have included descriptions and a history of the band in their pieces, so to avoid going over old ground, I've split this review into two parts:
1: A full review of the album with my usual track by track descriptions and ratings.
2: With so many gushing reviews of this CD, it's virtually the soundtrack of Ciao at the moment, so when we're all bored of the album, what other Keane-like alternatives are out there? Find out in part two......
**************************************** PART ONE: HOPES AND FEARS ****************************************
1. Somewhere Only We Know "Is this the place we used to love?" asks the very emotional Tom on this first single release from Hopes And Fears. Throughout the piano chimes in perfect harmony to the uncomplicated rhythm. It's hard to resist his pleas: "why don't we go somewhere only we know" as the song fades out leaving you want to hit the "back-skip" button and listen to this delicious slice of pop all over again. (5/5)
2. Bend And Break I'm a sucker for what I can only term reassuring lyrics: Bob Marley's Three Little Birds ("baby don't worry about a thing/cos every little thing's gonna be alright") or Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel ("son, he said/grab your things I've come to take you home"). This cut has that kind of sentiment in bucketloads. "I'll meet you on the other side/if only I don't suffocate/I'll meet you in the morning when you wake". If you're feeling a bit low, a bit down, that sort of promise coupled with brilliant jangly pianos could be almost irrefusable. (4/5)
3. We Might As Well Be Strangers The obligatory slowy. With Keane it's all piano, and the Elton John, bashed-style intro pretty much gives you a warning of what's to come. A melancholy trudge through Coldplayland this, really, and certainly no worse for that. Lovely drums knock politely on the door about a minute and a half in to finalise a solid in unspectacular track. (3/5)
4. Everybody's Changing The first real show of promise on the album
as the melody proves a perfect foil for the piano intro. Almost bell-like in their execution, polite guitars come in after every other line of the verses before the superb "everybody's changng/and I don't feel the same" chorus melts your heart. This song has been played to death on the lightweight rock stations such as Radio 1 and Virgin and even Capital in London have picked up on its radio-friendliness. A summer anthem? Yup. Overplaying of this track on the radio breeding contempt? Nope. (5/5)
5. Your Eyes Open This could almost be a very early, polite Radiohead such are the focused and pronounced, half-mumbled lyrics of the verses and percussion-friendly production. A weird 80's style synth intrudes on proceedings at around the two and a half minute mark to show Keane have either got a sense of humour or are human after all and prone to a spot of musical misjudgement. Lovely hook in the build up to the chorus saves this song, hence....(4/5)
6. She Has No Time The first we hear of Tom's falsetto on the album as he sings the title over gentle reverbed guitar and sympathetic rimshot drums. Then the track builds throughout the second chorus and I'm whisked back to Radiohead's Street Spirit or No Surprises. A spooky organ breaks things up later before one final showing of the falsetto. I'm no fan of slow, moody tracks but this is different. A stunningly beautiful tune that allows the spooky organ to resurface at the end to see the track home. (4/5)
7. Can't Stop Now At the time of writing, I'm unaware of Keane's plans for their next single, but this uptempo and instantly hummable tune must be the favourite. Pianos (again!) and drums fight for supremacy in the intro and the gorgeously uplifting chorus of "but I can't stop now/I've got troubles of my own" tell 1000 stories. Just as you think the chorus is about to end, Tom takes the whole thing up a gear and treats us again. Quite fantastic. (6/5)
8. Sunshine I've seen this track descibed on Ciao as "hippyish" and I agree. A bit like a jangly Byrds and Beach Boys hybrid with the perfect vocals of the latter. "Can anybody find their home", Tom asks before an uncharacteristically funky beat kicks in. But again it's the lead up to the incredibly catchy chorus that's the selling point of this fine track. It all goes a bit wispy toward the end with what sounds like a Beach Boys-patented mellotron outro. (4/5)
9. This Is The Last Time Another uptempo track with nice wordy verses and a wicked change in vocal volume into the bridge before another catchy, soaring chorus tugs at your heartstrings like a kid tugging your coat in a bid to get you into a sweet shop. Insistent, persistent, jaw-droppingly melodic, but never twee. God! Keane's consistency is beginning to bore me! Another cracker and at 3 and half minutes just a beat short of perfection. (4/5)
10. On A Day Like Today Slower, more atmospheric and those beats sound like they're nicked from any 80's synth-pop band. Then the vocals go from cracked to purposeful, the piano plods in 4/4 time like a house music beat and you know we're back in familiar territory. Thank goodness for that. I will reiterate the underlying atmosphere of this track, though: tell me those last few notes on the outro don't ape Ultravox's Vienna. (4/5)
11. Untitiled I A very rare song, this: wispy, dreamy, floaty and for once not relying on a flying chorus and pounding pianos to carry it through. Definitely the weak link on the album, Untitled could almost be a Bend And Break reprise given its use of the "I'll see you on the other side" vocal refrain. Still, there's always the bendy mellotron break in the middle and Athlete-ish distorted drums to keep you happy in case you were nodding off. At over five and a half minutes, this track DOES outstay its welcome and is quite the poorest thing on the album. That's not to say it's bad, but given the high calibre of the other 11 tracks, it's always gonna struggle! (3/5)
12. Bedshaped Spooky intro, dark synths threaten and then a gorgeous and hummable piano melody slices through the atmosphere to round off the album. Tom's vocals are at their clearest and sharpest here and a rousing chorus breaks up the near silence quite
Pictures of Hopes And Fears - Keane
Turin Brakes
nicely. The nearest Keane get to the quiet/loud/quite formula, then. (4/5)
******************************************* PART TWO: KEANE ALTERNATIVES *******************************************
Until the next Keane album (probably in 2006!!), here's some others to keep your heartstrings a-plucking....
Turin Brakes: "The Optimist LP" (2001) ****************************************** Beautifully realised debut from this English male duo of Olly Knights and Gale Forgothissurname. Full of weeping strings and mournful acoustic guitars together with the crumbly voice akin to Tom of Keane, this is a nice way to get to know Turin Brakes. Check out the 2003 follow-up, Ether Song, for more of the same.
Most Keane-like moment: "Save Me"
Puressence: "Only Forever" (1998) ************************************* Indie also-rans with an ear for a melancholic drama. Most notable for the disturbing vocal similarity and soaring, epic choruses, there's not a dry eye in the house when he sings: "I lay back watching football/with no interest at all/why can't I just ever see things through?" They resurfaced in 2003 with the equally impressive Planet Helpless LP.
Most Keane-like moment: "All I Want"
Starsailor: "Love Is Here" (2001) *********************************** Half of the band are called James and the lead singer prefers nights in to the rock star lifestyle. This northern quartet burst onto the scene in 2001 with their debut single Good Souls. Although James' vocals are more pronounced, the deliberately unsubtle piano intro of Alcoholic and the driving acoustics of Good Souls serves as rather delectable companion to Keane.
Most Keane-like moment: "Good Souls"
Coldplay: "Parachutes" (2000) ********************************* Yes, the obvious choice really. All Hopes And Fears owners must have this album but just in case you haven't it's the template from whence Keane came. Subtle guitars, Chris Martin's droll voice and..pianos!
Most Keane-like moment: "Trouble"
Badly Drawn Boy: "About A Boy OST" (2002) *********************************************** This final alternative makes perfect sense when you consider to the astounding similarities. They're both English, a bit scruffy, sometimes mumble and possess a heavy reliance on piano and beautiful melodies.
Most Keane-like moment: "Silent Sigh".
Also: Radiohead: Pablo Honey (1993) especially Stop Whispering Doves: Last Broadcast (2002) Tom McRae: Tom McRae (2003) David Gray: A New Day At Midnight (2002) Gene: Olympian (1995) particularly the epic, building title track
and something that's been nagging away at me for a while. When Tom's voice soars on the chorus of Bend And Break and the electronic beats kick in on On A Day Like Today it can be reminiscent of Vienna, so also try:
Ultravox: The Collection (1985)
I hope part two was of some assistance and would welcome any comments to encourage or prevent me doing a similar thing in future.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Can be played over and over, songs never grow old Disadvantages: Slightly different sound to previous album if you're expecting lots of piano
Jul 3rd, 2004
exceptional by (2%):
very helpful by (98%):
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