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!