Customer Reviews

Perfect Symmetry [2 CD Deluxe Edition]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like many others, I first heard Keane's single "Somewhere Only We Know" on the radio four years ago and I was hooked. The song wasn't nearly as mature or well-developed as some of Coldplay's music from the same time (like "Politik", "Warning Sign" or even "The Scientist"), but I heard some real potential (ignoring some critics who dismissed Keane as mere Coldplay-imitators). This potential I believe is fully realized in their latest album Perfect Symmetry (released October 14th). It is the next phase in their evolution since Hopes and Fears and Under the Iron Sea and is no longer likely to be confused with aforementioned English rockers.

Songs like "Spiralling" and "Better Than This" are both immediately accessible and musically complex and surprising. The vocals are especially fun (if you like the unexpected as much as me) - some oddly enough remind me of Freddie Mercury, I'm not really sure why... I think in the past, Keane's slow songs have had a hard time catching on with the public (like "She Has No Time" or "A Bad Dream" - both songs I enjoy, but they're easily lost with other nondescript titles like "Try Again", "Sunshine" or "Bedshaped"). Though the song titles may still leave room for improvement, the music plays to the band's strengths with clever, moderate-to-quick tempoed songs that are marvelously long (most of the tracks break 4 minutes). My vote for the highlights are "Time To Go", "Perfect Symmetry", "Again and Again" and "Spiralling", but this really is one of those albums where you should just buy the whole album if you're a Keane fan (or if you're not, there's no better time to become one).

I have been a Keane fan since the early days. I have everything they released and I could buy. I never understood the comparison to Coldplay. Is it solely because the two bands love keyboards? So did later Van Halen and neither British import sounds like the 80s rockers. Is it because both are British? So is Amy Winehouse, and neither band shares much in common with her except the accent - and the ability to innovate innovatively (i.e., unlike most others.)

Coldplay's orchestration and lyrics - and their artistic sensibilities - differ quite significantly from Keane's, except that both bands are children of the 80s - the U2, Fixx 80s, not the Debbie Gibson 80s, and as such, both infuse their music with a bit of darkness, edginess, desperation.

I love Coldplay, let's be clear. This isn't a "which Brit band is better?" This is about a solid, sensitive, searching band being misunderstood and dismissed too quickly by us all-too-knowing, too-influenced-by-radio listeners on this side of the Pond. (And let's be clear. I love America.)

So, Perfect Symmetry. Tom Chaplin's voice is clear and more nimble than ever. Tom can wrap his vocal chords around a note and nail it then sustain it, caress it, love it. (Could be catty here and ask if Chris Martin could do so? No, his signature, like Sheryl Crow is to miss the note so compellingly you have to listen to the genius lyrics - it made Bob Dylan a mint, so why not? And all three are gifted songwriters and musicians.) He stretches without sounding stretched or strained, he yearns and gasps for breath and you yearn and gasp along with him.

The band has tried to shake things up without shaking away what makes Keane special - the distorted sounds that sound normal after a few spins of the CD, the slightly off-kilter beats that keep the song in line. This is, perhaps, their most political album, though these are not the typical politics of Left v Right. They are the politics of people understanding people, people in conflict, in chaos, in fear. In this sense, Keane is like Coldplay, whose Viva La Vida also is a searing commentary on the current state of affairs. It's not mimicry, but rather symptom of the times, much like the music of U2, the Fixx, Depeche Mode and other bands of the 81-85 era. How can a band not be influenced by the fear and chaos around them?

The album opens with this jarring, dissonant yet musical whoop - Ooooh! We're spiralling down. It contrasts sharply with the pure musicality of Tom's voice, which is the point, and even Tom's voice is a bit distorted, processed, which, again is the point. Tim Rice-Oxley has a brilliant ear - he hears what none of us hear until he plays it for us and we nod our heads and say, "Ah, yes! Tinny sound, full sound, edgy sound...play it again!" And drummer Richard Hughes is no less creative and restless, creating a beat, beat, beat-up backdrop without which we cannot do.

Spiralling is edgy, the edgiest I've ever heard Tom's voice. There's an impatience, an anger, an irony. "I know you people," he seems to be saying, and Tim's keyboards echo, "Yeah! I know you posers," and Richard's drums pound like a fist in your face. But who is posing - them or us?

Talk about political, angry, sad and warning. That's the song around which the album is built: Perfect Symmetry. Listen to it. Again. Again. Who is and isn't implicated? This is and should be an anthem for this time. Why it isn't, I don't understand, and that's why I am not a record company exec.

My favorite tracks are Spiralling, The Lovers are Losing, Perfect Symmetry, Again and Again, Playing Along.

Do I miss the heartwrenching songs like Bedshaped, She Has No Time? Yes, I do. But I also recognize that now is a time for being pushed, for being questioned, for being energized and enraged, and it is a time of deep, wonderful musical exploration.

I highly recommend this CD. It isn't perfect, but then again, are any of us? Do any of us produce perfect work? Might we find lessons and inspiration in the fragile imperfect world in which we live? Keane says yes. Oh, and the bonus DVD is interesting. Not as deep as the DVD for Under the Iron Sea, but if you like or love Keane, what's to lose? Love Richard's dog costume!

When Keane released 'Spiralling,' the first track and first single from 'Perfect Symmetry,' on the Internet for fans to preview, I was--as any Keane fan would be--eager to download and preview the track. I quickly snagged the free file and listened, letting the sound fill my ears. After the last beats left my speakers, I was left scratching my head. "What ... is this?" I thought. "This is Keane?"

It would take another listen or two for my feelings to shift from mild disappointment to something much more positive. I had been conditioned, as a Keane devotee, to expect a certain sound, and it took a shift in perspective for what I heard from 'Spiralling' to really strike me as something decidedly fulfilling, especially as a Keane track. The sound of 'Spiralling,' and the rest of 'Perfect Symmetry''s tracks, is a dramatic stylistic departure from Keane's previous offerings, and it will take some time to warm up to for those expecting a repeat of those first two albums.

What Keane had done with their first single is take all the creative energy built up from their exploits throughout Berlin and Paris and channel it into something exciting and fresh. 'Spiralling' is something very different from the Keane sounds of old, but I found it to be a very good thing. After all, how can a band evolve and grow without taking risks and trying new things? Keane swung at that fastball and hit it right out of the park.

This same exciting 'let's go for it' attitude extends to the rest of the album.

Right from the get-go, Perfect Symmetry sounds like the boys of Keane sought to stretch out and just have fun. And that's what Perfect Symmetry gives you--a wonderful mix of fun, 80's-inspired electronic sound with the fit and finish that this band brings to an album. Fans of Keane's piano-centric sound need not worry--'Perfect Symmetry' does not dispense of piano in favor of synths. They have, instead, complemented the pure, acoustic sound of the piano, and it shines.

Many tracks, from the previously mentioned 'Spiralling' with it's fun, hard-hitting, relentless charge, to 'Again and Again,' are up-tempo and fun, a startling contrast from the dark, brooding tones of 'Under the Iron Sea.' That being said, the men of Keane have not neglected their talent for deep, moving ballads, such as with 'You Don't See Me,' which serves up a bit of softness to give you a break after the edgy sounds of the album's other up-tempo selections.

The perfect blend of the hard-and-fast and introspective sounds of 'Perfect Symmetry' comes with the disc's title track, which is an absolute masterpiece, which blends ever-building, harmonious refrains with a soaring, deeply-moving chorus that gave me goose bumps the first time I heard it. It is truly one of Keane's best songs, and--while just a teensy bit over-the-top at times--is the crowning jewel of 'Perfect Symmetry.'

Long-time Keane fans may have to take a step back and approach this one with fresh eyes, but this effort is well worth it. 'Perfect Symmetry' is not a revolution in the world of pop, but it certainly may be for Keane, and that's certainly enough.

A great album of this amazing band. There is virtually no song that is bad to me , so artistic beautiful sounds , brilliant lyrics with a touch of 80's style. I am not a big fan but definitely this album is the best they have ever produce . Excellent purchase .

I love this album! It's a bit different, but it's still definitely Keane, and it's good.

I've enjoyed listening to music shared by Keane because it somehow seemed to create a certain nostalgia in an unexplainable way. Whether it was due to a nod toward the best of the 70's, 80's, and today I couldn't say, but Keane certainly has a knack for writing intriguing lyrics and music.

While my favorite album is still the album titled "Hopes and Fears", with "Under the Iron Sea" coming in a close second, this still has a great feel to it.

They somehow seem to have proven that they can embrace different, yet somewhat recent musical eras, while creating a sense of reminiscence. With slow rifts, engaging guitars, and pianos smoothing in with other instruments and vocals, they certainly seem to have a natural talent for music and lyrics that are pensive in nature. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I did.

This is the band's third album and it is great! They took a new path with using guitars and also various other instruments. It is really genius, if you are a Keane fan you will like this album. I suggest the Deluxe Edition for the full Keane experience. There are several fabulous videos you can't miss out on on this version.

The album is really fun music with an 80's kind of influence in the arrangement of Keane's beautiful melodies plus lyrics that convey a deep sense of being that connects instantly with anyone who listens.

I've been a hige Keane fan for years, and I'm sorry to say I realy don't like this album at all. I've worn thru my copies of both "Hopes & Fears" as well as "Under the Iron Sea" - but only listened to this one twice before putting it aside.

It's just a totally different Keane. The powerful vocals are missing. The piano is missing. And it's all replaced with a techno-like beat that reminds me of the 80s.

I do like this type of music, too - but it wasn't what I was expecting from this trio. A real disappointment.

My wife wanted it. I love my wife. I got it for her. She loves it.