Customer Reviews

Hopes & Fears

5 star:		(280)
4 star:		(88)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Perhaps the biggest band in the UK of this year are Keane. You could say the title belongs to Snow Patrol, Scissor Sisters or Franz Ferdinand, but I think it has to be Keane. They were first dubbed the new Coldplay - not only because they were spotted by the same small record label as Chris Martin's gang, but because their sound was similar. There's a big difference between Coldplay and Keane, however, and that is that Keane don't use guitars to make brilliant and emotional rock, they use the piano as their base instrument. It is ever-present throughout this entire album, and results in a successful stab at setting out what it intends to achieve. Countless bands have tried and failed in the past, but Keane have scored with this stunning debut album.

Lead singer Tom Chaplin is on vocals, whilst Richard Hughes on drums and Time Rice-Oxley on piano, keyboard and bass accompany him in making this powerful music that has gripped Britain like a vice all year. Chaplin's vocals are soft and delicate and have been compared to those of Coldplay's frontman. I suppose there are slight similarities, but I like to think Chaplin resembles Radiohead's Thom Yorke more than anything. Many are saying Keane are better than Coldplay already. I believe this to be untrue. Coldplay are at the top of their game, whilst after only one album Keane are being hailed as geniuses. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here - they still have to prove themselves on the next album...

Keane's debut album "Hopes And Fears" was released in May 2004 and went straight in at No.1 in the UK, and has since gone almost triple-platinum. Lead single "Somewhere Only We Know" opens up the album in fine form. This is the band's trademark ballad that crashed into the charts at No.3 back in January 2004. The song has everything that you can expect from this album - grand vocals, sweeping drums and a Coldplay/Yellow-like pace to it. "Bend And Break" is an uptempo song which has soft and floaty vocals that sail along, held up by a bright piano break. The chorus is brilliant and very memorable. "We Might As Well Be Strangers" is a slow and moving ballad that has a great composition to it which enables you to sing along, especially after it properly kicks in once the first 60 seconds are up. "Everybody's Changing" was the second single to be lifted from the album just before the album was released. Anyone who was unsure whether to buy the album after hearing only the first song was surely certain that this was an essential purchase after hearing this song. It's an upbeat number with brilliant drums and a wicked piano. I loved it from the first time I heard it - everyone's heard it - and I can imagine radio playing this for years to come.

"Your Eyes Open" opens curiously and quietly, before the piano breaks out and Chaplin starts singing. The verses aren't very memorable, but the chorus is just soaring and really makes this an album highlight, with immense single-potential. "She Has No Time" is a slow and moving ballad and one of the album's best on offer, because along with the chilled and laid-back piano we have access to Chaplin's emotional vocals that are particularly high here. "Can't Stop Now" is a very happy and jaunty kind of song which tells the story of not being able to help someone in need because you have troubles of your own. It's a great song and the piano is ever-present. "Sunshine" is a rather strange song, yet I can't seem to stop listening to it. It has a rather eerie tone to it to start off with, but the way Chaplin harmonises his vocals in the chorus when singing "Can anybody find their home?" is absolutely beautiful.

"This Is The Last Time" is another fantastic song that unfortunately has a poor intro. I'm not too keen on the way it starts off, but as the song builds to its chorus, you find yourself in safe hands as Chaplin cradles your ears with his melodic arrangement and pleasant vocals. At this point, you begin to get scared in thinking that this could be an album that has no flaws at all! Most albums don't achieve that, and this unfortunately is another one. "On A Day Like Today" is up next, and not my cup of tea at all. I don't know what went wrong, but this is the worst song on the album and is better best forgotten! Luckily things pick up with the oddly titled "Untitled 1" next, which is a five and a half minute masterpiece with almost a dance beat to kick things off! The song soon picks up even more pace and you soon begin to realise that this song doesn't have a proper title because the focus isn't on the words, but on the instruments. "Bedshaped" closes the album as the final track, and boy what a song it is! As the third single to be released from the album, this is perhaps Keane's finest moment. With that beautiful piano and breathtaking vocals from Chaplin, the band create a true classic here. The video itself is pure genius and really works well with the band's emotional message of loneliness.

OVERALL GRADE: 9/10

Many people would like to think Keane are some sort of genius and revolutionary band. However, they are not - not yet anyway. Only time will tell if they can go on to produce a second album of this depth and scope. I suffered from disliking this album when I first bought it because I thought every song sounded the same, when all you need to do is take the time to really sit down and listen to each song thoroughly. I urge anyone to buy this album now, it really is fantastic.

Keane (pronounced Keen) is an impressive band that truly baffles me with its remarkable sincerity. "Hopes and Fears" is simplistic music--one singer, one bass guitar, a pianist, and a drummer. That's it. Yet every time I listen it bewilders me how lavish and solid the music is. Every musician is altogether in harmony and balance. Furthermore they equip Tom and the songs the absolute best way possible. Tom's voice is unbelievable; his range is mindblowing, his intonation and phrasing are perfect and his heart is exposed. I can't find anything wrong with this album which astonishes me. I've listened to "Hopes and Fears" obsessively off and on for weeks at a time always fully expecting to get sick of it--but I never do! Each and every song can solidly stand alone and yet holistically, the cd is painstakingly and exhaustively gorgeous. I Love listening to Keane and I Love singing along; I Love it during the day, I Love it at night. It's the Real Deal. I give "Hopes and Fears" one of my highest recommendations. I think it should be in every music lover's library. Thank you, Keane. o8E
Soar!

My disclaimer first: I've passed 40, and am hardly at the cutting edge of musical trends anymore. Twenty years ago I ate, slept, and breathed music, and had opinions to spew out to anyone who would listen. Now my reviews must be accompanied by a potent dose of humility. I'm no longer in a position to judge how original or innovative is this record, relative to others' output.

But I will say this; If I'd heard more recordings like this one in recent years, I would have been inspired to pay a lot more attention.

I was first drawn to this band by the grandly beautiful "Somewhere Only We Know," that rarity among popular songs, in that I found myself scanning the radio searching deliberately for it. It had everything -- wonderful composition, terrific execution. Chaplin leaping up to the top of the minor seventh to sing the choruses, and the gorgeous way the melody winds down at the end. Paul McCartney himself would be proud of that song (I find myself wondering occasionally if Sir Paul has heard this one, as I would bet it would appeal to him.)

I assumed this band might well be a one-hit wonder until I heard them play a live concert on a local radio station recently, and I then realized how much else they could do. That performance convinced me to buy the record.

It feels good to be excited about a new band again.

It's hard to describe music in a way that informs a listener. You will like this if you appreciate clever songwriting with an attention to both coherent melody and some harmonic originality. The instrumentation is all keyboards, voice and drums, with the variety of keyboards creating a smooth, pleasant sound. The piano playing has a fair amount of octave playing in it, almost reminiscent of Rachmaninoff. I suspect that Rice-Oxley must have had a decent classical training.

This is simply an astonishing record. I still believe the first song to be the best one, but the craftsmanship throughout the record is amazing. Keane has an incredible gift for irresistible climactic chorus-writing. I also love their patience. They don't show their full hand at the beginning of a song, but rather compose competent and workmanlike verses that build up to really shimmering high points.

Chaplin's voice is hauntingly beautiful, especially when he reaches for a high note and delivers it with accuracy and passion. I don't know quite how to describe it other than to say that it's rare to simply enjoy the sound of a singer's voice so much.

Rice-Oxley is obviously responsible for a lot of the musical effect. It's he who drives Somewhere Only We Know to great heights, and it's also he who plays with such restraint and purpose on the tunes that are dominated by Chaplin's singing. On first listen, I was struck by Chaplin's voice, but on the second, I had decided that Rice-Oxley was really the genius in the band.

Having said that, however, one shouldn't overlook the degree to which certain songs depend utterly on Chaplin's voice. Each of We Might As Well Be Strangers, She Has No Time, Sunshine, and Untitled I are really vehicles for showcasing his voice to a different effect, and would have little meaning apart from Chaplin's delivery.

And, truly, if Chaplin hadn't recorded Somewhere Only We Know so beautifully, I probably would never have bought this record.

The album has a curious symmetry to it. It begins with the majestic Somewhere Only We Know, and ends with the most dramatic cut, Bedshaped. The second and third tunes somewhat resemble each other, as do the second and third ones from the end. (This is the Last Time, and Bend and Break, are both up-tempo, lyrical poppish pieces that follow directly after one another. Sunshine and Untitled I, which appear near the end, are ethereal, mysterious pieces built upon an eerie filtering and doubling of Chaplin's voice.) In between, the pace of the album seems very modulated, as though the symmetry is an intentional effect.

A few comments on the pieces in turn:

Somewhere Only We Know -- The best song on the album, and one of the finest pop songs I've ever heard

This is the Last Time -- Up-tempo pop piece with a terrific chorus, beautifully sung by Chaplin.

Bend and Break -- Similar, and I actually like it a little better. But the chorus requires similar performance skills from Chaplin, and gets them. Love to hear him reach for the higher notes starting the chorus.

We Might as well be Strangers -- The melody seems so inconsequential, but I love this piece. It's all about Chaplin ascending a kind of musical staircase, with a terrific climax the second time he gets to the top. The theme of lost love is an old one but here it seems to carry a precise meaning unique to this song.

Everybody's Changing -- After Somewhere Only We Know, the catchiest song on the album.

Your Eyes Open -- One of the less exceptional compositions on the album, it's made memorable by the perfect match of the melody in the chorus and the effect applied to Chaplin's voice. A sugary smooth sound, if that makes any sense.

She Has No Time -- Oh, so quiet and delicate, with Chaplin singing in a high falsetto. It took me a few listens, but I now think this is one of the very best songs on the album, certainly among the most beautiful.

Can't Stop Now -- Catchy, this is probably one of the few times on the album where Chaplin's noisy inhalations become a distraction. He often gets right up to the line of over-emoting, and on this cut he crossed it. A nice tune, though, and the chorus has its moments. Still a great cut.

Sunshine -- Someone described this sweet, ethereal piece as a shaft of a light in a dark room, and it fits perfectly.

Untitled I -- Sunshine's slightly more mysterious counterpart. Again, a bit glimmering, even spooky.

Bedshaped -- This is one of the more dramatic, bombastic pieces on the album. I haven't quite figured out yet what it is all about, but it is definitely not a shy piece.

If I had to pick the best songs on the record, I'd probably select: Somewhere Only We Know, She Has No Time, Bend and Break. But This is the Last Time and Everybody's Changing are both absolutely terrific and catchy songs also, and I have a real soft spot for We Might as Well Be Strangers.

I find myself hoping that Keane remains very disciplined about their craft and expanding their horizons. They have tremendous songwriting and performing ability; their task now is to explore beyond the sound they have perfected, and really bring all of their creative talents to bear. If they do, they could be a band for the ages.

My first contact with Keane came via Boston's WFNX playing "Somwhere Only We Know." I thought it was a great song, but, upon seeing Keane live on TV, the lead singer's awkward appearance kind of turned me off. I figured, "New sound, intersting music, most definite one-ht wonder."

WRONG!

I bought the CD anyway, and by the 2nd track I found that this was clearly not a one-hit CD. By track 5 I was IN LOVE with the album. It seems I simply misinterpreted the band's awkward on stage appearance. I saw the awkwardness as a hinderance, whereas it probably should be a credit. The band has been able to make it big without relying on charisma. They must, then, have had to rely on their talent.

This album exudes a sense of completeness and coherence that I haven't heard since Bright Eyes' "Lifted." As a people, we have become too comfortable with sloppy albums. Sure, a great number of albums produce multiple hits, but very few lend any sense that the album is anything more than a collection of songs. Keane's "Hopes and Dreams" does just that. It's like a good novel instead of a good collection of short stories, and by the end you won't be able to help wanting to start it again.

What happened to enjoying music purely because of its accessability and good tunes? There is nothing more unfair than attaching a huge bag of hype on a young band, comparing them to great artists who sound similar in an attempt to sell records. Of course, a point of comparison is always welcome, but to haze the band for not sounding exactly like the established band is in bad taste. There is hardly a band out there - especially in te mainstream - who does not borrow elements from past artists. The completely original artists are making music so out there and new that they are on the fringes of the industry, and time deals with them accordingly. Velvet Underground, Big Star - commercially underachieving bands who have influenced bands for decades to come after their demise.
Keane does not sound like Radiohead. Keane does not sound like Coldplay. Let's get that out of the way. The less we compare Keane to those two bands, the easier it will be to enjoy the album on its own strenghts. Keane is a trio consisting of piano, drums and vocals. This is a unique line-up, and one that is easily distinguishable from other mopey rock acts. "Hopes & Fears" will not set the world on fire (unless they catch on, which I'm hoping for), but it will be a treasured part of any collection that includes it.
Any successful band's debut album was confident in its aspirations: Oasis' to shake up listeners, Franz Ferdinand's to move your body, and the Stone Roses' to change the entire music world. Keane's debut is confident in its ability to write touching, meaningful songs with strong melodies and decent lyrics, and this earnestness and charm works wonders on listeners. After all, it did work for Coldplay. With a strong debut album behind them, it is now up to Keane to follow it up with a better sophomore album, and I believe it is entirely within their grasp. Enjoy "Hopes & Fears" on its own strenghts, and you will find a great album.

You're reading this review so you either heard Keane and liked them, or you heard the hype and wanted to see how they stack up to the hype. Unfortunately they do stack up. The music is catchy British near Emopop and it's better done than anything America is putting out right now. The singer has an amazing voice, the piano player is better than bad (He's not good enough to clean Ben Folds piano, and Ben Folds isn't good enough to tune Elton John's piano, but enough about that). The drumming is average too, it's really the production and song value that gets you. Sweeping melodies and heartfelt lyrics really are par for the course on "Hopes and Fears". If you like Coldplay, you'll like Keane. They are very similar. The sound, even though it's coming from a two-piece band manages to sound much more than minimalist (Thank you slick production values).

In the end, "Hopes and Fears" captures teenage angst, as wrung through the corporate music machine. It's classic 80s pop reborn as British pop. Tears for Fears begat this album. I promise.

I heard the song "Somewhere Only We Know." and instantly fell in love with it because it isn't some rock guitar, electric, bubblegum song like most of the stuff on the radio these days. I purchased the album in 2004 and I'm still listening to it! ( I hadn't thought to write a review til now.) The lead singer of Keane is Tom Chaplin and his voice is incredible. It can be loud and deep or soft and high. Another thing I love about Keane is instead of a electric guitar they have a piano. I know some of you may like guitars and think pianos are just for boring classical music, but the way the piano is played and mixed with Tom's voice is wonderful to listen to and I wouldn't have it any other way. Another thing about Keane is that their music is so inspiring.
1. Somewhere Only We Know- Great lyrics and cathcy song but doesn't show how great Chaplin's voice can be.

2. This is the Last Time- Another song I really enjoyed that has an upbeat pace. More like a slower paced 'Bend and Break' but just as catchy.

3. Bend And Break - Definitely one of the catchiest songs on this album. Chaplin really belts out in it. I find myself singing along with this (which is a good sign). Perfect for exercising to.

4. We Might As Well Be Strangers- A beautiful and sad song that describes not being in love with someone anymore.This song will haunt you. Let the waterworks begin

5. Everybody's Changing- The band's second single. This is fun and moving with a real life concept of people moving on when you're not ready for them to. Rice-Oxely does a great piano job here and this track is extremely catchy.

6. Your Eyes Open- There isn't very much hype about this song, but I like it a lot. It has mysterious verses and a slightly eerie tone but is so great. This song actually really drew me into Keane

7. She Has No Time- This is one of my absolute favorite songs of all time because it is so beautiful and you can almost feel Chaplin's pain when you listen ( Oxely-Rice wrote it for him after a girl rejected him) Tom also goes wonderfully falsetto on the chorus.

8. Can't Stop Now- One of the more inspiring songs that I enjoy listening to and find hard to stop in the middle of. Chaplin's breathing is close to distracting but not quite when into the song. The last minute is very touching and is my favorite part of the song. ("The motion keeps my heart running..")

9.Sunshine- It took me a long time to finally accept this song but now I do. Listen to it a few times. The lyrics are odd but at the same time they make sense. This track is a lot different than most on this CD, but in a good way

10.Untitled 1- I know this is probably the most disloved song on the album, but it's my second favorite (Bedshaped is 1st). It has such great lyrics that really speak to me ("You're not the one I hoped for, I'll see you on the other side) and a really cool but that makes me think of black and white pictures of my past. Very cool instrumental wise, also.Hughes does an incredible job on the drums near the end of the song.

11. Bedshaped- I can't exactly describe this song in mere words. You need to hear it to keep the amazing sense of emotion it washes over you. It starts out slow (with an insturment I suppose is the piano but it's hard to distinguish)) and continues on a soft chorus which will already have you thinking. Almost like it's transporting you to a different place, somewhere in your path or somewhere you've been looking for. The chorus is the most amazing part of this song. I can't even describe it. It's so powerful, the lyrics are so meaningful. I cry a lot during this song. It's so beautiful. The most perfect finale I could ever imagine.

Overall, Keane is one of my favorite bands and I think everyone should give them a chance. They don't cuss at all on this CD and there are no sexual or drug references. It can be soothing is one part and exciting and loud in another so Keane is for everyone .

First off, I have to confess, I am not a huge consumer of music. I have my stash of 300+ CDs that have accumulated and served me well through the years--most purchased before 1990. Secondly, I generally find the music played on "pop radio" despicable--most of today's music strikes me as awful, overproduced, hideous bubblegum nonsense that makes the Bay City Rollers look downright dignified.

Keane's debut album has blown me away. I purchased it solely on the strength of their live performance on SNL, and later was astounded to learn that the only OTHER artist whose albums I've purchased since the turn of the millenium (Rufus Wainwright) is actually opening for them right now on tour in Europe.

This CD is on constantly in my car. It's impossible not to love this music. It catches in your synapses and stays there. The album's pure, spare, melodic, honest compositions soar.

Very few things through the years have dragged me out of my old, tired "comfort zone" in music. Hopes and Fears did that and put me on the lookout for this band's next album.

Do yourself a favor and meet a new favorite.

There have been a lot of new British bands coming out within the last few years, including Travis, Coldplay, Snow Patrol and Keane, to name a few. I never really bought the first three on that list and while I think they are all very good bands, none struck me as doing something truly meaningful.
The first time I heard Keane, I must say, I felt that way too. Then I bought the album for my girlfriend because I knew she liked a song or two that had been released here in Britain.

Within days I had totally backtracked my view, and I fully believe Keane to be the best new British band of the last 8 or so years. Coldplay are all a bit melodramatic for me, Snow Patrol a little inconsistent, Travis a little too clean and Radiohead a little too far up their own arses.

Keane don't look nearly as good as they sound, and perhaps that had put me off before I had heard their music... truth is, they look like Coldplay and all those other bands... typical English middle class schoolboy types. But y'know, their music (if you sit back and let it) seeps into your unconscious and once this has happened you find a passion growing for this band, a passion that makes you smile when you heard one of their truly moving songs off this awesome debut. I find myself musing about their virtues when others would prefer to group them with all those other British bands. Perhaps it's unfair to group all those British bands together in the first place (something I am inherently guilty of).
I urge anyone to listen to this if you love music at all... this blows 90% of the rock music coming out of America (and Britain) out of the water. You'll find the vocals will start to feel more grandiose, more epic and more emotional after a few listens. Then you'll heard little eccentricities in the music... and then you'll remember that all this noise was created with only a piano and drums (and possibly a few other thing in the studio). If you see them live though, you'll be amazed that they can pull this music off so convincingly with just the drums, piano and vocals... it's something of a miracle, and Keane, who in my eyes are lining up for "Britains' best band" title, succeed on every level.

While I can see why Keane has been compared so often to Coldplay I'd have to say that only perhaps at a first surface listen are they really alike. Keane delves more into lush multi textured soundscapes than Coldplay, your hear something new in each song, with every listen. The vocals remind me of the group Mansun more than anything, perhaps with a bit of Thom Yorke thrown in. His voice has a certain liliting quality that Chris Martin lacks to me.

The album is very solid. I usually skip around a lot when listening to something in the car. This I can listen to all the way through, over and over. It's a beautiful album in every way.