Tiscali rocks! I can now be online ANY TIME, cor blimey, guv. So, i'm going to try and catch up with...
Tiscali rocks! I can now be online ANY TIME, cor blimey, guv. So, i'm going to try and catch up with alerts. let me know if you're mad at me for not reading something, and i'll bawl in a corner...
Member since:23.07.2003
Reviews:160
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I’ve had many musical discussions about who is better; Nirvana or Pearl Jam, Blur or Oasis, Suede or Strangelove, Hundred Reasons or LostProphets, Muse or JJ72... During our weekend away, our conversation turned into a discussion about whom everyone preferred; Keane or Snow Patrol. It seemed to me that if nine people at a barbecue could have a discussion about it for an hour or so, then it was likely to be something the rest of the country was discussing as well. Why these two, I can’t really say for certain – perhaps because they are both being touted as the ‘new Coldplay’, perhaps because they’ve both been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, or maybe just because they both have top ten albums. As I’ve been listening to both for the last month on my way to and from work, I thought the fairest way to finally decide who I liked better (as if I really needed to decide) would be to do reviews of them both.
My first comment is unfortunately a negative one. I really hate Keane’s song titles – they just seem unimaginative, especially the lazily titled ‘Untitled 1’). On the plus side, you always know what the song is called, but it disappoints me, as it just reminds me of sodding Travis. I’m not overly keen on the packaging either – the uninspiring moss green with white lettering,
‘arty’ black and white photos, and silhouettes of musical instruments all over the place, shrieks of trying too hard. Still, at least they’ve got the lyrics in the booklet.
Negativity out of the way, and I can talk about what is actually important – the music. I’m a bit of a sucker for piano; anything played on a piano reduces me to tears if I’m in the right mood (which will give you some idea of what it was like when I saw Tori Amos live). I also tend to prefer my music pared down, preferably with a slight acoustic leaning, and if you’ve any prior knowledge of Keane at all, you might guess already that this album is probably going to be my sort of thing. Add to this the fact they have a singer who looks about twelve (and needs a good meal), and the novelty element of having no guitars, and they start to look like a more attractive package than their CD cover.
You’ve probably heard the singles – ‘Somewhere Only We Know’, ‘Everybody’s Changing’ and their latest one, ‘Bedshaped’. Personally, I feel that with the first two singles they made the right choices; both songs showcase their musical style so anyone buying the album will know what to expect, and yet they’re catchy pop songs at heart. I can’t quite grasp the idea that ‘Bedshaped’ is a good single though, or for that matter grasp the idea that it’s actually even a good song. It’s certainly decent enough to finish off the album, but I get a bit bored halfway through, Tom Chaplin’s vocals getting a little too falsetto for me to bear. Personally I would have chosen another catchy tune, maybe ‘Bend and Break’, but then again, I’m not in PR.
As an album, it’s easy to listen to, and the satisfaction I got from it was immediate. It really isn’t an album you have to hear more than once to get familiar with. This can of course mean that its shelf life is limited; something so instant isn’t going to keep having the same effect over and over again. Fortunately, it’s the music that is instant, and not the lyrics. With repeated listens, you can get more form the lyrics, and the sometime peculiar rhythm they’re written in; after trying to describe what I mean, I still can’t, but it’s most noticeable in ‘Can’t Stop Now’.
Unlike some other reviews I’ve read, I actually found this album really uplifting until I looked closely at the lyrics. Somehow when they’re sung, they seem, for want of a better word, fairly jolly. Looking closely, they’re all about being lonely, losing someone, ‘the last’ of a myriad of things. I can only put this down to Chaplin’s voice, which having seen him, I’m convinced he’s borrowed from someone else. I personally think his voice is remarkable – it’s sweet yet slightly gruff, morose and yet soaring, with a clearly audible accent (I can’t place). After seeing him live on a couple of shows, I’m still moved by his depth and range, and still amazed that it’s him singing.
Okay, so we’ve got nice tunes, and a nice voice – hardly that interesting is it? Ah ha, but we haven’t talked about keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley yet, who surely must be responsible for nearly making me crash the car. I haven’t heard an album with so many odd background noises since ‘Sea Change’ by Beck. The best example of this is the chorus of ‘Your Eyes Open’, which, for some reason known only to Keane, includes a twittering chorus of birds.
It seems Keane straddle some divide between pop, indie, acoustic, and goodness knows what you’d call those keyboards. They provide a more ‘experimental’ edge for people who thought Travis were too bland, a ‘poppier’ edge for people who can’t stand Phillip Glass (for want of a better example – suggestions on a postcard please). I personally think they’ve got a good future ahead of them, providing they continue to occupy this middle ground they seem so comfortable in. I just hope I’m not moaning about them in two years time when their next album sees them move too far in either direction.
TRACKLISTING
Somewhere Only We Know Bend and Break We Might as well be Strangers Everybody’s Changing Your Eye’s Open She Has No Time Can’t Stop Now Sunshine This is the Last Time On a Day Like Today Untitled 1 Bedshaped
As much as i dont really like this album, this is a great review. Congrats!
jonathanb 24.08.2004 17:02
I know I've heard at least one Keane song and I think I quite liked it, but I couldn't tell you what it was called or sing it if my life depended on doing so. I'm sure that's a reflection on me rather than them and I'll try to pay more attention next time one of their songs is on the radio! Excellent review as usual.
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Aug 20th, 2004
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