Hopes And Fears - Keane > Reviews > Keane - Hopes And Fears

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Every track is great
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Keane are one of 2004’s biggest successes, shooting to fame in relatively short time, although they’ve been around for much longer (since 1997, to be precise). This, their debut album is, in my opinion, the best album of 2004 (perhaps only beaten by U2’s great album “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb”). Keane won best breakthrough act at the Brits25, as well as winning the British Album category with this album. This album was the second best selling album in the UK of 2004, overtaken by the Scissor Sisters’ self-titled debut album which sold only 582 copies more! They’ve sold around about 4 million copies of this album worldwide so far.

Keane’s line-up originally consisted of four but their guitarist left in 2002. Their line-up is as follows:

Tom Chaplin – Vocals
Tim Rice-Oxley – Piano/keyboards (including bass)
Richard Hughes - Drums

THE TRACKS

There are 12 tracks on this album. All are super in their own way.

1 – Somewhere Only We Know – This introduction song was also their first major release (they had released four other singles prior to this one, but none of them did anything at that time). This is a real foot-tapper and that is all down to Richard’s good drumbeat and the “rhythmetic” piano playing of Tim. Tom’s vocals are brilliant and the chorus is one that’ll stick in your mind for some time. A great opener and a great song. – 8/10

2 – Bend And Break – Another great drumbeat and piano riff start this equally great track. Again, Tom’s vocals are excellent and the lyrics he provides are beautiful. Interesting keyboard work by Tim adds to the depth of this song. A thought-provoking and brilliant song. – 9/10

3 – We Might As Well Be Strangers – The tempo is turned down for this track. Opened by Tom’s excellent voice, this is another song with lyrics that give a feeling to the song. The piano work is brilliant, as ever, and Richard is still giving us great rhythm with his drums. This is a good song, but it’s not one of my favourites. – 7/10

4 – Everybody’s Changing – This was their second major release and was released prior to the release of the album. It has now been released twice, originally in May 2003 (although there are, apparently, differences between the two release versions). Almost everybody will be familiar with this track due to the air time it gets on the radio. However, it is one of those songs that doesn’t get boring no-matter how many times you hear it. Great lyrics and singing, great piano and keyboard works, and a rhythm that’ll get your foot tapping again. – 9/10

5 – You Eyes Open – This is my favourite song of the album. The piano work is beautiful, yet so simple. This, with the keyboard work and drumming, fuses brilliantly with Tom’s voice, which begins calm but picks up more for the chorus. The lyrics are wonderful. However, I feel this should be an album-only song and I’m hoping it’s not released. A superb track. – 10/10

6 – She Has No Time – This is probably the slowest song on the album. Tom’s voice is the focal point of the track, with it being supported by the piano, bass and drums. The lyrics are beautiful but due to its “quietness”, this track isn’t my favourite. Not bad. – 6/10

7 – Can’t Stop Now – The beat is raised with this great track. Similar to many of the earlier tracks, this features duets, so to speak, between Tom’s voice and Tim’s piano riffs. The drums keep the rhythm going. Lyrically, this is an interesting song, with some thoughtful parts. All in all, a good song. – 8/10

8 – Sunshine – A quiet start leads into this beautiful song. Tom’s voice is calm but firm at the same time, supplying our ears with some nice lyrics. The piano/keyboard work is as good as ever and the drums add even more depth to this deep song. Wonderful. – 9/10

9 – This Is The Last Time – This is their most recent major release, being released November last year. It was originally released in the October of 2003 but, as with “Everybody’s Changing”, didn’t chart. This is probably my favourite of the four songs that they’ve released. Another song that doesn’t get tiresome no matter how many times you hear. Tom’s voice is perfect and Tim and Richard keep the rhythm up with their respective piano and drumming work. – 9/10

10 – On A Day Like Today – Another quiet song leads into a slightly darker song, although Tom’s voice doesn’t hint that. The piano gives this song the edge with a lower tone being used compared to most of the other tracks. Richard just keeps on giving us good drumbeats. – 7/10

11 – Untitled 1 – Drums get this song going, followed shortly by a great piano melody and some nice bass. Tom sings quietly but superbly. The lyrics are interesting, just like the title of the track. Keyboard work adds to the depth and when all three instruments fuse together and join with Tom’s voice, the song sounds perfect. – 8/10

12 – Bedshaped – This was their third major release and is probably the most beautiful song they’ve written. Piano and vocal chords duet again, with the drums supporting. The beautiful lyrics seem limitless. Interesting keyboard work finishes this track, the perfect ender for this great album. – 9/10

OVERALL

If you’re a fan of indie music, pianos or just like some calming, sweet melodies, you’ll love this album. It has every attribute needed for a great album of the band’s genre, and for the price, it’s one of the best albums out there. Some people say they're similar to Coldplay. I'm not a huge fan of Coldplay's, yet I love Keane's music so there must be some difference. Here’s hoping for their next album and that it’s just as good (rumour has it, it’s going to be released later this year).