Perfect Symmetry - Keane

PERFECT SYMMETRY is the title of British indie rock band KEANE. The album consists of 12 tracks which I will review. The opening song SPIRALLING is an energetic opener with great guitar work. The vocals add extra vigour to the track which literally spirals to the chorus. THE LOVERS ARE LOSING tells a great story through the lyrics and the instrumental work introduces some lovely melodies to procedings. BETTER THAN THIS features some beautiful vocals with the guitar and drums bringing an edge to the chorus. YOU HAVEN'T TOLD ME ANYTHING has some brilliant lyrics though I felt the instrumental work lacked the energy of ...  Read the complete review

Hopes & Fears and Under the Iron Sea. Both albums did exceptionally well when released, receiving critical aclaim and having very high sales around the world. Hopes and Fears was the best selling british album of 2004 whilst Under the Iron Sea sold 222,000 copies in its first week. Perfect Symmetry needed to be as great as the other two to make sure that their time away from the music scene has been worthwhile. And it really is!! Keane first got together in 1995, comprising of composer, bassist, and pianist Tim Rice-Oxley, lead vocalist Tom Chaplin and drummer Richard Hughes. Their original line-up included founder and guitarist Dominic Scott, who left in 2001. ...  Read the complete review

I was already a big fan of Keane, having previously bought and much played their first 2 albums Hopes and Fears & Under the Iron Sea, before I rushed out to buy Perfect Symmetry on the day of its release. The band's music has certainly changed direction and is crisper, more electronic based and more uplifting than before (although many of the lyrics are as downbeat and morose as on earlier songs). There are many tracks of special note, starting with the opener Spiralling in which lead singer Tom Chaplin's vocal oscillations and the distorted electronic backing make for a distinctive track that sounds great. Another song The Lovers ...  Read the complete review

After hearing the single 'Spiralling' & 'Better Than This' from Keane's 3rd studio album, I was very impressed. I'll admit that I wasn't a huge fan of their first album, however I really enjoyed 'Under The Iron Sea' (overlooking the quality of the production). There is an obvious influence of electric 80's styles throughout the album. For example, the lead synth sound in 'Better Than This' is very similar to Bowie's hit 'Ashes to Ashes'. The addition of a more electric sound is definitely a step forward. The production of the album is a vast improvement from their last album, 'Under The Iron Sea'. The album is far less 'tinny' and is generally ...  Read the complete review

Keane's third album "Perfect Symmetry" sees something of a change of tone for the English piano-led indie rockers. Gone are the gentle ballads of "Hopes and Fears" (debut album) to be replaced with a distinctly 80s electric sound. Several tracks feature small amounts of guitar work too - can this really be Keane!? Lead single "Spiralling" is far removed from anything they've done before.If you check the comments on the Spiralling YouTube video you'll see how the song has divided the listeners. Some people, especially Keane's longstanding fans, feel that Spiralling is a mess of a track, with none of the classic Keane beauty or ...  Read the complete review