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222 of 238 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Blinding And Stunning Debut Album, August 21, 2004
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.
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50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Real Deal, August 18, 2005
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!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sublime, May 29, 2005
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.
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