Customer Reviews

Hopes & Fears

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

British mope-rock is alive and well, as Brit-pop trio Keane makes their debut with "Hopes and Fears." Strong, soaring vocals from Tom Chaplin are backed up by some solid piano-based pop and rock. Despite constant comparisons to Radiohead and Coldplay, Keane shows plenty of promise.

It starts off with a strong piano solo in the quiet "Somewhere Only We Know," followed by a stream of catchy pop like the thoughtful "Everybody's Changing" and the shimmery "Bend And Break," and gossamer ballads like the melancholy "We Might As Well Be Strangers" and soaring "She Has No Time." It wraps up on a strong note with the plaintive "Bedshaped."

If any British band breaks the rock mold, it seems to be labelled as a Radiohead/Coldplay wannabe. On some superficial levels, Keane sounds rather like those bands. But it manages to remain a bit apart, rocking a bit harder and sounding a bit more straightforward and simple. It's hard to truly classify Keane as really being pop -- the lack of guitar and the prevailing piano seem to edge its catchy melodies closer to classical pop.

The first thing to know about Keane is: No guitarist. Don't let it scare you -- the mix of rippling piano and gentle percussion are enough to make their melodies catchy without electric riffs. At the same time, they take some musical risks. Psychedelic piano-pop? Believe it or not, Keane does that.

Tom Chaplin's vocals are the strongest point of Keane's lineup; his solid, high soars along with the shimmery music. At times his vocals get a bit TOO high, like when he sings the title line of "She Has No Time," but most of the time he manages to sound like a heartbroken guy exorcising his breakup demons. The songs themselves aren't terribly complex or insightful, but they can be quite poignant: "And if you have a minute why don't we go/talk about it somewhere only we know?/This could be the end of everything/so why don't we go/somewhere only we know?"

Keane needs to distance itself more from the other Brit-mope-rock bands before it can blossom into greatness. But in "Hopes And Fears," they have succeeded in the basics: bringing forth some beautiful, sometimes heartrending music.

Throw in part Radiohead , A splash of Morissey ,A Touch of Muse, & A Pinch Of Depeche Mode ,And you end up with Keane.
There are Vast facets of love in This Peice of superb &Unique work. The Cd takes you on an emotional rollercoaster of Love,Loss,Hopes & Fears. There is alot of melancholy feelings of Lost Love iced with a proclaimed hope of just being loved.

This is truly one of the most moving CD I've heard in along time!
From the popular Love Song "Somewhere only we know(#1)"
To the lilting professions of love on "Bedshaped(#12)"Which is my personal favorite of the whole Cd.

Branching out to "We might as well be strangers(#3)" A Sorrowful Story of a familiar couple ,as they live each day as the last & the next, taking for granted what Love is.

"She has no time(#6) " is a beautiful peice,of tragic desire for the one that got away.

"This is the last time(#9)" Is a bitter sweet kiss goodbye .

This album is a awesome mix of Electronic Expression ,& Acoustic Laced Ballads.
This is a must have for any collection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Throw in part Radiohead , A splash of Morissey ,A Touch of Muse, & A Pinch Of Depeche Mode ,And you end up with Keane.

There are Vast facets of love in This Peice of superb &Unique work. The Cd takes you on an emotional rollercoaster of Love,Loss,Hopes & Fears. There is alot of melancholy feelings of Lost Love iced with a proclaimed hope of just being loved.

This is truly one of the most moving CD I've heard in along time!
From the popular Love Song "Somewhere only we know(#1)"
To the lilting professions of love on "Bedshaped(#12)"Which is my personal favorite of the whole Cd.

Branching out to "We might as well be strangers(#3)" A Sorrowful Story of a familiar couple ,as they live each day as the last & the next, taking for granted what Love is.

"She has no time(#6) " is a beautiful peice,of tragic desire for the one that got away.

"This is the last time(#9)" Is a bitter sweet kiss goodbye .

This album is a awesome mix of Electronic Expression ,& Acoustic Laced Ballads.
This is a must have for any collection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

....the rainy roads of our old town"

When I first heard somewhere only we know on the radio I loved iot, it was catchy and stuck in my head for days.

I however didn't buy the album because I'd heard it had no guitars, which majorly out me off as I'm a punk rock fan. So I naturaly heard this and couldn't understand how you could have an album without guitars.

Please don't let that minor detail put you off though, if you're thinking the same as me. THIS ALBUM IS BRILLIANT!

Every track is great. Tom Chaplins vocals seem to soar and swoop between the pretty piano melodies. See them live and every song is ten times better.

Buy this and you won't regret it. And, like me you'll be singing it for weeks!!

This is a great CD. Keane have a unique sound; the combination of Tom Chaplin's soaring vocals with drums and piano really works. Each song is different, some are upbeat and punchy, some slow and poignant. It's not the sort of CD you buy where only a couple of songs are great and the rest are rubbish. The talent is there throughout. I look forward to their next release.

Keane has captured the abilities of the piano, and used them to produce a sound that few come close to. They step outside of the box to bring a new sound into the world. Their lyrics seem to tell a story or paint a picture in your mind. Their music is inspiring and uplifting. Keane will spread like a wildfire to those who enjoy good music!

I think this is a great CD. I can listen to it over and over and never get tired of it. This album is a nice change from most modern pop/rock bands since this band is minus a guitar player. The band has a more delicate pop/rock sound with only vocals, drums, and a piano. The sound of the piano in "Somewhere Only We Know" is enchanting. Not only is their music pleasing, but the lyrics in their songs are heartfelt and catchy. The vocals of leader singer Tom Chaplin are captivating. He is able to hit a wide range of keys, even the high ones like in "She Has No Time".

As for sounding similar to the band Coldplay, I believe Keane has their own unique sound. But, if you enjoy bands like Coldplay, Radiohead, and Oasis, then I would recommend this CD.

An amazing collection of great songs by a band on a single CD. The sound is fresh, the music is great, the vocals are incredible. Almost every song could be released as a single. I never imagined a piano a drumkit and a microphone fillup the room in such a way. Not Travis, not Coldplay, just Keane.

LOVE THIS ARTIST'S VOICE, MYSTICAL AND MAGICAL. PEOPLE ARE ATTUNED TO HIS VOICE. GREAT CD, GLAD IT'S MINE

I would like to plug this 2004 CD by British band Keane: Hopes And Fears. It is a tuneful album of well-made songs enlivened by the distictive melodic voice of singer Tom Chaplin, augmented by a very well-produced instrumental sound. The overall effect of these 11 songs is entrancing and enjoyable. I particularly like the song This Is The Last Time, and was moved to buy this CD by lead single Somewhere Only I Know, which I only heard once and immediately liked. Unlike other bands in the 80s and 90s that I discovered by radio, I learned about Keane via DVD footage of them on UK TV and MTV exposure, so I am unsure how successful they are or if they have been out touring. I haven't heard any other records by them as yet.

I'm giving this one 4 stars.
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