Break out the DeLorean, we're going back to the '80s. No, Thriller isn't being released again. This time the blast from the past is from British band Keane.
Their new album, Perfect Symmetry doesn't exactly live up to its name, but it does stand in sharp contrast to their other albums. They've added synthesizer and spacey drums on many songs, creating a very different sound compared to the straight piano rock of their previous work. Instead of following in the footsteps of fellow Brits Coldplay and Oasis, Perfect Symmetry leans more toward The Cure and a-ha.
Luckily, this step back in time is pleasant and manages to hit the good days of that hit-and-miss decade. Pretend That You're Alone and You Haven't Told Me Anything have the heaviest '80s influences, with enough spacey drumming and twittery keyboards to give Take on Me a run for its money.
Tom Chaplin's smooth falsetto is as strong as it ever was, but the touch of roughness heard in Better Than This among others is actually a nice addition.
There are glimpses of Keane's old style from Hopes and Fears and Under the Iron Sea, like on Perfect Symmetry and Playing Along.
Even with a change in sound, Keane are still the masters of the ballad. The syrupy soul of the piano and Chaplin's jazzy sensitivity creates an aura of romance that has yet to be imitated or beaten. Love is the End is a must-listen on Perfect Symmetry because of its almost Sinatra-like smoothness and relaxing air.
All of the songs on this album are relatively long, averaging over four minutes each. This sounds like it would make for a tedious set of songs, but it's good to see a band stretching their legs and letting the music flow. It's much easier to listen to a few interludes than to try to comprehend every ounce of catchy goodness that is compacted into three minutes of a modern pop song.
Perfect Symmetry may be a change for Keane, and it may take a little getting used to since most of us were born as the '80s disappeared, but they have created a complete album's worth of music. There are bouncy head-boppers and laid-back slow songs, all ebbing and flowing into each other. That can't be said for many things in this decade, or the previous one.
17 Archives
Susan Tebben
