Perfect Symmetry

Another surprise from Keane

Having conquered the whole world with its debut album Hopes and Fears in 2004 one of the most successful British rock bands of the present days Keane surprised everyone with the ability to create great music absolutely with no guitars. Two years later their creative work’s direction seemed to take a course to melancholy with Under The Iron Sea and considering the unbelievable success of the sophomore effort many thought that was for the best. Yet turns out this autumn that making predictions with Keane is not only a useless thing to do but practically an impossible one. New single Spiralling from its third album Perfect Symmetry has rocked the airs of the word’s radio stations with an excellent inspiring pop sound which was truly unexpected. All three members’ change of image has added to the intrigue. Penetrating, bright, built on controversies album Perfect Symmetry proves to be a 180 degrees turn in Keane’s creative work: successful pop tunes, Tom Chaplin’s even more expressive vocals and completely different emotions are only a part of all its surprises.

Perfect Symmetry, the first album with a guitar involved

For the first time of its existence Keane has recorded an album with an electro guitar involved although its brandy keyboard chords still refine every single track on Perfect Symmetry. Yet the most interesting change here is the lyrics. If Chaplin sang of hopelessness, war and despair on the previous record this time he raises the themes of spirituality, connection between people and the meaning of life. It can be hardly said that the new songs sound like inspired preaching but they are quite close to that. This kind of lyrics is put on an amazingly contagious, explosive music produced by the varied keyboards, guitar and synthesizer that substitutes for a whole orchestra. Singles Spiralling and Lovers Are Losing are faultless from beginning to end, as well as song Better Than This full of certainty about human abilities. The title track is the most similar to Keane we once new and it is about getting exactly what we give in life, hence the title. Slower ballads You Don't See Me with utterly disarming vocals and the final Love Is The End, the saddest on the album, have blended the album’ mid-tempo compositions. Pretend That You're Alone is among the highlights as far as the combination of text and music is concerned, and one can learn from it what Keane thinks of mankind today and get a new way to look at relationship.

The black stripe is passed

Keane’s creative searching is strangely similar to a black-and-white life approach or to the band’s native English weather known to change quickly and dramatically. First the guys have arrived as creators of a keyboard rock who have grown up listening to the music of The Beatles, U2, Oasis, R.E.M., The Smiths, Radiohead, Queen, a-ha and Pet Shop Boys and everything was just fine as on a clear day. Then some clouds appeared in the sky and a black stripe has begun signed by a sullen album that was Under The Iron Sea. Yet it has passed and the sun has once again shone, and it is exactly what the third album is like, sunny and joyful. As a matter of fact, there are some thoughts that make one not too happy on Perfect Symmetry, too, but the music never lets one fall in despair. Claiming persistently that life is worth living even though it can be difficult sometimes Keane has succeeded in finding the harmonious sound necessary to make the music inspiring, pleasing and charging with a positive attitude even when there is such a contrast between lyrics and tune in it. Reaching the incredible heights in a shortest period of time the British musicians have risen even higher with Perfect Symmetry and exceeded all our expectations for the third time by now.