If you've been following events in Keane circles over the past few years, you'll be aware of the rollercoaster ride that the band have been on since their debut album Hopes And Fears dropped four years ago. After years of setbacks, dead-ends and crushing disappointments, the fervour that greeted their piano-led brand of emotive, melancholic indie rock took many by surprise - not least the band themselves. What followed was an inevitable critical backlash, plus almost two years of touring the album and the pressure took its toll - so much so, in fact, that the three old friends from East Sussex were in danger of falling completely apart in a mess of ego and recriminations. The pressure-cooker atmosphere was especially evident in the follow-up album Under The Iron Sea, whose claustrophobic vibe and dark distorted piano sounds mirrored the strife of the three men who created it. A few months into the next round of touring with some stumbles along the way, Tom dropped out of the tour without warning in Japan, headed back to the U.K. and checked himself into rehab for alcohol and drug addiction. The future of the band hung in the balance, but Tom was able to face his demons and emerge from the ordeal stronger and over the months that followed, the band reconnected with each other and begin to rediscover why they'd wanted to do it all in the first place: the love and joy of creating music.
Coming over two years after its predecessor Under The Iron Sea, the immediate impression that comes from listening to Perfect Symmetry is "Is this Keane?". Whether you think that in a positive or negative way all depends on what you are expecting from the album - if you're looking for more melancholic, piano ballads and a return to the comfort blanket sound of Hopes And Fears, this album is definitely not for you (barring a couple of tracks). What is on offer here is, for the most part, quite different to anything that was on the previous albums. In fact, it is quite different to the majority of music out there at the moment. The overall sound of this album mirrors the geometric, primary-coloured of its artwork - the emphasis shifts from the piano-pop onto a wider and more varied sonic palette. There's lots of squelchy synth, funky bass-lines, unusual percussion, harmony vocals, lead guitar parts and a whole lot more besides. It shows a side of the band that has been stifled up until now - proof that they can actually have fun and make music that reflects that.
There are a number of important aspects that have been crucial to the formation of the Perfect Symmetry and the differences between it and the two previous albums. The first is the fact that the band were prepared to involve other musicians for the first time on the recordings. This is most notable on closing track Love Is The End, which features two string players (one on cello, one on violin) and two musical saw players. Within the confines of modern indie music, this is hardly innovative - in fact, it is often the classic over-used way of making an epic track. However, it works here on two levels - firstly, the arrangement is such that it does genuinely add to the track, but it is also notable for the fact that it marked a move away from the standard synth strings that the band have typically relied on. Perhaps the success of the use of a string quartet at the 2007 Union Chapel show encouraged the band to be prepared to take this type of chance and experiment with the "formula".
However, the involvement of Jesse Quin throughout the sessions showed that the band were prepared to push themselves far further than any time over the past seven years. Whenever the question of the bass guitar had been raised previously, the band had acknowledged a fear of tampering with the dynamic that had been built up between the three of them after so many years of friendship and shared experience. It was therefore an indication of the level of trust they had in Jesse to be willing to involve him so fully in the process. Rather than just being hired as a session musician to play parts and then go home at the end of the day, JQ was treated as a fully-paid up member with an equal right to assert his creativity across the whole process. The initial publicity indicated that he was involved for bass playing, but he also became integral to the backing vocals and percussion aspects, as well as providing guitar.
The use of guitar is possibly the most outwardly-visible difference in the new approach the band have taken on this new record. Whilst only one track makes use of a traditional loud rock guitar sound (Playing Along), the thought of the band (or Tom, more specifically) throwing shapes while wielding his axe was enough to make some of the more conservative members of the fan-base cower in a corner with their hands over their eyes. However, with the final result now upon us, these fears were misplaced - the guitar parts are either manipulated to sound distinctly unlike a guitar (the riff of Spiralling being a classic example) or are layered in the mix to provide an added dynamic or percussive element. Whilst Tom's ability with a guitar has never been in doubt, one surprise for this album was Tim's revelation that he had also been playing guitar during the sessions. It remains to be seen how much of Tim's guitar playing is actually on the final record, or whether we're ever likely to see him play the guitar live but at least it does offer hope for yet more diversity in the instrumentation going forward.
The freedom the band had to experiment during the recording has led to album that offers much more diversity than they've ever managed previously. This applies not only to the sonic aspects, but also to the feel and groove of the tracks. Tim himself has been quoted as saying that both Hopes And Fears and Under The Iron Sea were, in retrospect, a bit one-paced - for the most part, the songs on this album do offer a much more varied experience, with only a couple of slower, more traditional Keane tracks. This seems to have paid off, as the general consensus from most critics is that the album is that it is the first time that Keane have managed to sound "interesting". Of course, as fans of the band, we know that this isn't the case - but that fact that the band have made an album that has made critics (many of who had previously written off the band as a lost cause) start to take notice cannot be understated.
But ultimately, the most important thing for any prospective listener who is about to sit down for the first time is actually to disregard anything that the critics write about this album. Even more importantly, leave any pre-conceptions about what you expect the band to do at the door before you press play - if you go into this album wanting to hear the Keane of old, you'll have already shut the door on it and just won't get it. This is a varied and rich album with lots of different layers and, barring a few blips along the way, the gamble the band have taken with it has really paid off. Ultimately, the most important thing to come out of this album is not only that it takes Tim's expertly-written songs in a new and exciting direction, but also the fact that it makes it genuinely intriguing to think about where the band will go next.
8/10
- Spiralling
- You Haven't Told Me Anything
- Again And Again
- Pretend That You're Alone
- Love Is The End
Whereas
Under The Iron Sea started with the moody and slow-burning epic
Atlantic,
Spiralling kicks off this album as a real statement of intent - forget everything you might expect from Keane. The album version (as opposed to the shorter, neutered radio edit that was released for free in August) starts with a couple of seconds of glassy percussion before the song crashes into life with its huge,
POG-effected guitar riff, metallic drum part and wonderfully squelchy synth-bass. As a shift in musical approach, it is almost as big as when U2 closed the door on their anthemic Joshua Tree/Rattle And Hum era and opened their re-invention with
Zoo Station (Berlin, of course, being a common influential thread through both this album and U2's
Achtung Baby). However, unlike their Irish seniors, Keane have gone for a funky pop vibe rather than a darker industrial groove. The most divisive aspect of this track is it's infamous rap/rant/spoken section - I suspect that some critics will find it contrived in the extreme and use it as yet more ammunition to fire at the band, but personally speaking I think the spoken word section actually works pretty well - if you've been familiar with the radio edit, it actually sounds a bit odd due to the fact that there's actually an extra section at the end of it ("I never saw the light, I never saw the light, I waited up all night but I never saw the light"), but it will sit better with further listening. Lyrically, the track is OK - not Tim's finest lyrics by any means, but they work will with the bouncy groove of the song and Tom gives a sterling performance throughout it (as he does across the whole album).
The first single proper (not counting the free download release of Spiralling) is a slightly odd one. In many ways, it seems like a rather safe choice of single - particularly when it comes after as big a curveball as Spiralling. It is a very good song (indeed, I know of one long-term fan who as described it as "possibly the best thing they've done") and has some very cool aspects - the chorus works brilliantly, although it did take a few listens before it really started to get under the skin. From a geek perspective, the most notable aspect is the fact that the lead sound comes not from any expensive vintage synthesizer (of which Tim is amassing an ever-increasing collection), but from a humble little stylophone run through some chorusing and a guitar amp. Overall though, the sonic effect is reminiscent of previous tracks like Let it Slide, while the general feel has shades of Thin Air. So, although its a very enjoyable song, it just sounds slightly under-powered when compared against the sonic bombast of some of the other big tracks on the record.
Of the pre-release previewed tracks, this probably caused even more divisions amongst the band's fanbase than Spiralling. Starting off with a heavily chorused Rhodes piano riff very reminiscent of Ashes To Ashes led many to immediately write off this track as nothing more than a David Bowie rip-off. I've already written at length about my disagreements with this viewpoint, as the track offers not only a completely different groove to the Bowie classic (indeed, the piano riff is the only similarity) but also delivers a very worthwhile lyrical slap-in-the-face to the celebrity-obsessed, fame-seeking society we live in. The vocal melody in the verses is probably the weirdest Keane have used so far, featuring some almost Mika-esque vocal acrobatics from Tom - not to everyone's taste, but it actually works well within the confines of the track. There are lots of wonderful aspects going on here - handclaps, banjo-style notes, lots of cool percussive electric guitar parts. This track also represents the first on the album where Jesse Quin's involvement on bass really comes to the fore - the bass playing is immense (Tim played the synth bass on Spiralling), with some funky flourishes and a general sexiness to it all. All in all, a very cool track.
This is probably the most experimental track on the album. It has an incredibly quirky-yet-infectious guitar riff, crazy 8-bit synth sounds throughout the middle-eight, extensive Prophet T8 synth pads and barely a piano in sight. On first listen, this track will likely leave many listeners baffled - it is mixed to have quite a sparse feel, and is driven by its electronic drum-beats (played by Richard rather than just being programmed). Lyrically, it is one of the album's darkest tracks - some fans have already groaned about the fact it deals with the problems the band faced with Tom's difficulties, but they can take heart from the fact that the lyrics are sufficiently generic to fit with a number of interpretations. So far, so good - but sadly, its not all plain sailing. The most unfortunate aspect of this track is that it seems to suffer from the same problem that afflicted the album recording of A Bad Dream: the recording sounds a bit limp when you're familiar with the live version of the track. It's hard to put a finger on exactly what the problem is, but it feels as though it is actually a bit too subtle in the arrangement - the live version just sounds a bit harder-edged and with a bit more passion to it, which just makes this recording sound a bit underpowered. The ending on this recorded version makes use of a glockenspiel motif combined with the guitar riff, which also means the track just fizzles out a bit: again, the live ending with the guitar and additional drums fits the song much better. A missed opportunity overall on record, but it is a song that will likely be a much bigger success played live on forthcoming tours.
The title track is the only song on the album to lead off in the "standard" Keane fashion: large, chiming piano. In an album of such experimentation, it may therefore seem a little odd to name it after a track that, on the surface at least, seems to be relatively unexperimental. However, this track is of such a high standard that it really doesn't matter: it is no exaggeration to say that this song is almost the ultimate definition of everything Keane do best. Even here though, there are new slants to be excited about - most notable, of course, is the "choir" vocal mid-section. This truly is a marvel to listen to - the four guys have really done a remarkable job with the vocals, while the gentle use of bongos provide a perfect undercurrent. Lyrically, this has some lines that are already ruffling a few feathers ("spineless dreamers hide in churches", "there is no heaven waiting for you"), but the message of the song is one of hope rather than hate - a plea that people stop trying to build artificial divisions between each other while trying to claim a moral highground. The message behind the song, combined with the level of ambition with the track, is without doubt the cornerstone of the album - it is a true classic in the band's canon and is a track that will be a staple long after the dust has settled on the album as a whole.
In subject matter, this is classic Keane - the feeling of being on the outside looking in, while everyone else passes you by. Sonically, it also one of the tracks that has its roots in the more traditional Keane styling. Its closest relatives from previous albums would be She Has No Time and Try Again, sharing a similar "lullaby" groove - though it elevates above those tracks with much more synth pads and excellent vocal harmonies. There's also some nice bongos used from the beginning of the song until the end of the first chorus when Richard comes in with some understated drumming. This song also highlights the depth of emotion that Tom is now able to get across without the need to constantly go into the higher registers of his voice - only one part of the song features a falsetto vocal line and that is one of relatively few across the album as a whole. Given the strength of some of the other tracks on the album (combined with the relative lack of experimentation on this one), this track does risk fading into the background a little, but it is nonetheless a beautiful song with some magnificent touches to it.
This bustling track (surely marked down as a future single) hurries along right from the off, with a rhythm track that is vaguely reminiscent of (dare I say it) Coldplay tracks such as One I Love and Things I Don't Understand. However, it's heavy synth-pop riff helps it to follow a different path to Chris Martin and co. It has the classic trademark BIG chorus, excellent piano parts to accentuate the verses plus manages to balance the 80's synths without falling into outright cheese. This is one of the strongest tracks to date and an immediate stand-out. In fact the only disappointment with it is that the "heavy breathing" in the middle-eight (discussed during a video update from the band) isn't featured more prominently in the mix!
This track threatens to follow the same groove as You Don't See Me - it starts slow and with a relatively cheerful-sounding, inoffensive waltz melody. In fact, the verses have the feel of old Keane, circa 2000 when Dominic Scott was still in the band... the gentle acoustic guitar backing, sparse drums and bass, delicate lead guitar - there's even something in the vocal melody and sound of Tom's voice that evokes the old days of songs like New One and More Matey. It's not bad by any means, but it doesn't really scale any heights: I'd even go so far as to say it verges on being forgettable - it's pleasant enough, but is a bit tame and saunters along with really getting out of first gear. Thankfully though, the track really comes alive with a jolt in the choruses as heavy guitar kicks in, while Tom wails "I'm gonna turn up the volume 'til I can't even think". From this point on it works brilliantly - the contrast of quiet verses and loud choruses (a staple of rock) provides a very welcome dynamic shift and gives the song a great shot in the arm. By the time the song heads towards its final minute, it's become the loudest, heaviest rockiest thing Keane have ever done - a cacophony of distorted guitars, droning synths, screams, feedback and other weird noises (possibly Tom's megaphone experiments are nestling in the mix). The lyrics throughout the track are great, musing on the way that we in the western world manage to bury our heads in the sand and avoid the various atrocities that are happening across the globe - yet again illustrating Tim's ability to put across an idea without the need to over-intellectualize it. It's a track that ends up being a real winner after a slightly meandering start - I'll be very interested to see how they'll approach it live.
One word - funky. The bass-line on this track is immense (yet more sterling work from Jesse) and combines perfectly with a lolloping piano motif. The groove-based nature of the track is reflected in some distinctly non-standard Keane lyrics from Tim - talk of being the monkeys from the trees, the strangling weeds. While it is easy to pass this off as song-writing by numbers (as if consulting from The Big Book Of Rhyming Couplets), it does manage to fit the breezy nature of the song rather than letting down the energy of the music. By the second verse, there's even some mild wah-guitar to add to the groove, before saxophone comes in to add the piece-de-resistance. When Tim first mentioned that saxophone was being used (a world exclusive "you read it here first" moment!), it was really in the balance as to whether it was going to be one experiment too far - I'm pleased to say that it works really well and adds something really special and different to the track. The instinctive reaction is to imagine some kind of hideous bluesy sax solo, but thankfully it fits perfectly into the mix and is anything but a bluesy wail. There's so many lovely touches throughout this track - mellotron-style flutes, more bongos and handclaps, those wonderful staccato saxophone parts and even some almost Beatles-esque "doooo-do-doooo" backing vocal parts to bring the track to a close. I believe this was the one of the last tracks recorded for the album, so clearly the band knew that they were onto a winner - they weren't wrong!
Once again, Jesse comes through with what may well be the most rhythmic bass-line on any Keane track to date. The verses have a dark, smouldering passion lurking beneath the surface, before exploding into a bigger, cheerier chorus - similar in some respects to the likes of Crystal Ball, though thankfully with lyrics that are superior in every measurable way. In fact, this song is classic example of how to mix quite serious (some might say "depressing") lyrics into pop music, without it coming off as completely ludicrous. There's some wonderfully-cheesy 80's synth wave sounds underneath the chorus, plus another soaring vocal performance from Tom. The most bizarre aspect of this track (and perhaps the whole album) is that it features a small French spoken break after the middle-eight - this seems random in the extreme. Perhaps the band wanted to add a little bit of Parisian flair and soul to the track to reflect the surroundings of the city in which they were recording: in my mind, I imagine them huddled around a small candle-lit table in a little back-street bistro in Paris late one evening, conspiratorially planning the ruse will quaffing some "bieres". Unfortunately though, it comes off as more cringeworthy than chic or sexy and is a laughable mis-step in what is otherwise a very strong track.
I've already discussed this one
elsewhere on the site, but this track is a real winner. As an album-closer, it works perfectly - although it is a slow-burning moodier track, it has a mood and soul that aren't typically Keane (unlike the album's other gentle track,
You Don't See Me), with its delicate piano parts, and real cello and violin. The other stand-out aspect of this track is the now-legendary musical saw - the ethereal sound of the saw is a perfect counter-point to the more traditional strings and provides the perfect backdrop for a truly beautiful track. Tom gives one of his finest ever performances, while Tim has written some wonderfully delicate lyrics - the whole track evokes a potent mix of hopeful intensity and painful sadness. The perfect end to a wonderful new era in the life of Keane - it is less anthemic than
Bedshaped, but it's somehow more
real.
