Brace yourselves - Keane have gone to the dark side. It has been tumultuous time for the trio; they've basked in the blaze of fame and had their world turned on its head, all of which resulted in frayed temperaments and 'artistic differences'. However, so impressed were they at the songs that were thus created, they decided to stay together 'for the music'. Cheers Keane. From the first two tracks it's clear that the Sussex band are attempting something new, the first thought being - Lo! Is that a stringed instrument I hear? ('Is It Any Wonder?' and 'Put It Behind You').Alas no, Tim Rice Oxley has merely upgraded his keyboard and located a few foreboding settings ('Atlantic', 'The Iron Sea', and the notable 'Broken Toy').The rest is pretty much your quintessential Coldplayesque Keane, complete with the piano/drums combo and Tom Chaplin's melancholic moos proffering their trademark "you'll never guess what's coming next" lyrics ('Nothing In My Way', 'Hamburger Song' and the buttock wincing 'Crystal Ball').People keep comparing them to U2, which might be a fair assumption given the quality of Chaplin's anthemic choric delivery ('Leaving So Soon') and the aforementioned DIY lyrics, but they will never possess the charisma that would propel them to "rock" god status. An inanimate drummer, a figure hunched over a keyboard and a fully-matured, ruddy-faced cherub just doesn't cut it. Instead, Keane will dutifully provide soundtracks to dinner parties and ITV two-part dramas. They are mood music for the masses; a large niche in which they admittedly excel.
