Keaneology Part 3 - Perfect Symmetry

Hello I now have the joy of talking with you about one of my personal favorites, Perfect Symmetry!!!!!

Well if you took my advice and have a listen to their past albums (Hopes & Fears/ Under The Iron Sea) you will find that Perfect Symmetry is a very different album. Perfect Symmetry though vastly different was to be expected from the band without ceasing of musical evolution. Sound wise you'd probably notice within the first 3 seconds that 'this isn't the old Keane'. For Perfect Symmetry Keane have taken an 80's influence, they have used synthesizers and the whole bombasticly funky groove line from the era.

For this album I presumed that you'll either love it or hate it, fair enough. But one point I'd like to make is that I was originally part of the later when I bought the album which after a single listen through had completely changed my mind. Either way you swing one thing you can never accuse Keane of is repetition or monotonicity in their music.

Perfect Symmetry kicks of with the more funky songs known as Spiralling, The Lovers Are Losing, Better Than This and You Haven't Told Me Anything. These songs might need a little getting used to for some fans of their older works mainly because they tend to be of a greater contrast to Hopes & Fears and Under The Iron Sea, however if fans do get over this they will find some very powerful songs that capture in essence what musical evolution is all about which is pushing yourselves beyond what you've ever done or dreamt of doing because musical evolution is never thoroughly planned, it just happens.

After You Haven't Told Me Anything Perfect Symmetry kicks off into the title track Perfect Symmetry. Perfect Symmetry itself is a song which places audiences through the eyes of the band members with a view of the meaninglessness and follies of life, though I cannot say I agree with what Perfect Symmetry represents I still do regard it as a great song. The album then rolls into a lower key with You Don't See Me which is an amazing ballad which beautifully grows from a simple synth pad to a warm and incredibly bright ballad which plays to Chaplin's vocal strengths.

Again and Again is a earnest song about the pointlessness of arguing about 'who did what' in a relationship and is highly emotional song that stirs those with emotions with a gigantic climax when Chaplin sustains the A5.

After abit of a relax with Playing Along and Pretend That You're Alone Perfect Symmetry swings into Black Burning Heart. Black Burning Heart is the only song I have no idea about, the themes confuse me but it nonetheless is majestic in both the context of lyrics (because Tim Rice-Oxely is unparalleled in his genre) and melody (because Chaplin is rather good at phrasing). This song doesn't go with the flow of the album but however lifts Perfect Symmetry to extraordinary heights for the smooth crescendo of Love Is The End. Love Is The End is such a fitting goodbye about the timeless necessity of love with is beautify constructed to climax with Chaplin highest note with falsetto, B5 which he so beautifully carries out.

In conclusion Perfect Symmetry though different is still brilliant, when I first heard this on a plane I remembered thinking to myself, "Dang they pulled it off again!". In many ways Perfect Symmetry has a very endearing quality that makes it extraordinary. I am giving it 9.5/10 obviously due to reason of morality but if I were different it's 10/10.


Listen To: Everything is brilliant apart from Pretend That Your Alone for obvious reasons!!!

Eskimo Joe - Black Fingernail, Red Wine

In my personal opinion one of the greatest attributes to Australian music is Eskimo Joe. If you're thinking 'I never knew the Inuit lived in Australia' then you probably aren't acquainted with the band. For those who have previously known Eskimo Joe you then know that they were formed in 1997 by Kavyen Temperley, Joel Quartermain Stuart MacLeod.

Eskimo Joe though successful in their own right are by no means a phenomenon or a high selling band, however when does chart performance ever dictate quality?

Something about Eskimo Joe just draws you towards in some sense a darkness. They recent production heavily emphasize darker themes such as death, war etc and their award winning release in 2006 Black Fingernails, Red Wine marks the genesis of this.

The album is an intricate, dark and grungy collection of songs, which though fairly dark shows glimmers of hope. Aesthetically speaking the album is ladled with rhythmic guitar rifftings, grungy lyrics, and weird and wonderful melodic line that on paper don't seem to make sense but just work somehow. Though first impressions of the music maybe be that of repetition and mono-tonality I promise that the music grows on you at least partially .

For me at least, the album is sooooo wonderfully dark, it somehow just reminds me of grunge itself(not musically speaking) the sound of the album somehow comes together in a very gloomy way. At times the album just seems to grip something dark within you(hope that doesn't sound too emo!). For me Black Fingernails, Red Wine a very gripping, engaging collection of music.

I think the main problem of the album is a lack of change, it seems that after the first few songs it just get unreasonable repetitive, I know I am contradicting myself by saying this but it does happen. Leaving the album somewhat incapacitated to evolve or change such as UTIS (which I have previously reviewed which changed it up abit).

In conclusion though having a brilliant start Black Fingernails, Red Wine finishes poorly in comparison to its glorious beginnings, though saying that by no means discount the validity of the piece because when Black Fingernails, Red Wine is good it's is really good.

Listen To: Comfort You, New York, Black Fingernails, Red Wine and Sarah

Stop For a Minute

Sup from beyond the grave ... it has been a while ............ well I just saw the new keane music video and look pretty awesome so here you go. The gerne busting song will feature on Keane's new EP which I am buying enjoy!!!

Part 2 of the Keanology: Under The Iron Sea

Ohhh yeah my faithful* audience I'm back! Amazing isn't it. Well now I will be continuing the second part of the Keanology "Under The Iron Sea"

Under The Iron Sea (or UTIS just to shorten it), is quite a stark contrast from Hopes and Fears. UTIS explores much darker, deeper and sinister themes, the overriding message of UTIS is the theme of 'a fairytale gone wrong'. This theme links directly into the lives of the members Tom, Richard and Tim who's lives were changed with the great and unprecedented success of Hopes and Fears although the success was positive the pressures of heavy touring and infighting within the band brought out the majority of the dark theme within the album .... well now to some actual reviewing .... sorry

Tonally UTIS can clearly be related back to Hopes and Fears although it is obvious from the get-go that there are some major changes. Theme wise the album is much darker than Hopes and Fears, UTIS explores themes such as the fear of loneliness(Atlantic), war (Is it any wonder?/ A Bad Dream) however even within the doom and gloom of the first half of the album there shines a beacon of hope. Though there are some dark themes explored throughout the second half of UTIS hope becomes the central theme songs such as Hamburg Song, Put it Behind You and Try Again breath new life into the album and creates great contrast to the initial themes conveyed.

Music wise it doesn't really get better than this, for me UTIS is pretty much a modern masterpiece which in my mind equal the greats. Tim Rice-Oxley yet again has woven beautiful songs that speak to the audiences that music isn't about 'sex, drugs and rock'n'roll' but rather say plainly that music is a expression of life itself. Every note, riff, vocal line in this album was well though through. There seems to be no lack of direction in the album which seamlessly is put together. When describing the sonic pallet of UTIS the word unique comes to mind, Tim Rice-Oxley's brilliant usage of the piano still amazes with an increased usage of distorted piano (using guitar based effects) adds texture and dept to the music.

Overall for a band consisting of 3 members without a bassist or a guitarist they have certainly accomplished a great deal. Under The Iron Sea for me is, and always will be the best album of all time. Under The Iron Sea possess all the qualities of a masterpiece, brilliance, emotivity and what all musicians should aspire to, authenticity. In short I am giving this album a 10/10, although first impressions may not be the best I will promise this, Under The Iron Sea grows soo much on you and soon after a few listens you should find yourself deep within the 'fairytale gone wrong'.


Recommended Listens: Everything it's all killer stuff

Hi Guys

Hi guys how are you all? Well just thought to share this rather interesting song from one of my favorite bands "Keane" well I should let you judge the song for itself so here it is have a listen!

Muse - The Resistance

One of the most prominent rock bands of this era is undoubtedly Muse, the English prog trio have been actively creating awesome music since 1994. Made famous for the undoubted stage presence of Matt Bellamy and his personally customized arsenal of super-charged Manson's, with the added individuality of Dom on drums and Chris on the bass they create an original power-pack combination.

Muse is by far the most genre breaking band in history, with hits such as Super Massive Black Hole they have cemented their place among the legends.

Their latest studio album "The Resistance" does prove that the band certainly have not dulled over age. The Resistance is heavily themed with anti-establishmental Orwellian themes, it opens with a gem of a piece called "Uprising" which sings of a rebellion against the secrecy of governments. The album quickly moves on to other genre busting songs such as "Undisclosed Desires" an intimate R&B influenced piece written for his fiance and also the big brother/sister of Super Massive Black Hole. There are other interesting pieces of work such as Guiding Light which depicts the fallout of a relationship in a very beautiful fashion and with a pretty decent guitar solo. One of the key pieces for me was the symphonic-rock 14 minute, 3 part Exo-Genesis. Exo-Genesis is amazing to say the least, Bellamy has put beautiful and rather rapturous melodies that leave one in awe.


Overall I give this album a 7.5/10. Though Muse has pushed every single boundary in this album I believe that there is still so much more they are capable of, but songs like Unnatural Selection and I Belong To You did heavily let them Down, with failed climaxes.

Recommended Listens: Uprising, Resistance, United States of Eurasia, Undisclosed Desires, Guiding Light & Exogenesis 1&2.- Listen at www.muse.mu

Review: Part 1 of the Keanelogy : Hopes and Fears

A key component of my audio diet is Keane. Keane for me is one of the best bands in the world, Keane is composed of Tom Chaplin who does the vocals for the band, Tim Rice-Oxley the piano man and one of the best composers in the world and last but not least Richard Hughes who fit's the grooves to all their songs. Keane or the Locust Eaters or whatever they were called are an interesting bunch, they are 'word for word' a piano rock band. I think the X-Factor in Keane is Rice-Oxley who composes most of their pieces. Well enough of the introduction...

Hopes and Fears is the first studio album by Keane, it is in essence a meld of rustic melodies and beats incorporated with modernized synthesized sounds. The album opens in the best way possible with a little song called 'Somewhere Only We Know'. Somewhere only We Know is the perfect encapsulation of the album, it is a powerful power-ballade that captures audiences with melody and beat, time seems irrelevant in the song which just streams away into.... 'This is The Last Time' the perfect goodbye song, it tell about when you leave something you love behind, it perfectly builds up to a climax on the last run of the chorus that seems to get you everytime! The album then mellows abit with We Might As Well Be Strangers but then bounces back up with Bend and Break which captures the spirit of the morning with cheerful optimism. After this cheery song the album takes a plug into the darker themes of broken relationships with Your Eyes Open which depicts the fallout of a friendship in a stronger fashion than Strangers. She Has No Time is beautiful to say the least, it is a song with a story. She Has No Time was written for Chaplin by Rice-Oxely to comfort him after a girl he fell in love with completely ignored him and avoided him, Chaplin's voice seems fragile in this song perfectly accommodating the themes. In all honesty there is just too much to say about this album, but I will say this, it is the perfect encapsulation of one's Hopes and Fears. Love, rejection, the pursuit of dreams, the leaving behind of friends, this album has everything.


Overall what can I say? This is one of the most beautiful collection of songs put together by man, unrivaled, unchallenged and yet so very intimate I give this 9.5 out of 10. Awe-inspiring stuff.


Recommended Listens: Everything is good.... but don't forget to check out On a Day Like Today!

Hello World

Wow I know I'm speaking to myself when saying .... Hello, how art thou, my name is Mr.X or clo....


The reason why I created this blog was that I felt terribly bored and so I did something completely random ...... fair enough?


Well I'm a huge music lover.... I personally do not discriminate against genres, I created this blog space to help myself express music in words.................... well enough said



hope to be seeing you soon



Mr.X aka David Bocking!!!!