Brit-poppers stake their claim

Britpop/rock is hit or miss in my opinion. For example: Radiohead, Interpol, Muse…all hits. Coldplay, U2…misses (don't send hate mail to me for this statement). No matter what your stance on the matter is, you've surely heard of Keane. This group of blokes blew up on the scene in 2004 with Hopes And Fears, and a hit single entitled "Somewhere Only We Know," becoming one of the biggest groups in the UK, and US alike. Keane's second effort, Under The Iron Sea, is an excellent follow-up, and even more emotional and darker than their debut.\nAll U2 and Coldplay references aside, Keane has their own unique and intelligent sound. Singer Tom Chaplin sounds more like Thom Yorke (The Bends era Radiohead), or Matt Bellamy of Muse, rather than Chris Martin of Coldplay. His voice soars through these tracks, moving up and down, around corners and through the crevices of the album. Described by the band as a sinister-fairytale-gone-wrong, Under The Iron Sea is a beautiful and dark album.\nThe first track on the record, "Atlantic," adds to Keane's piano, bass, and vocals formula we've come to know by adding some creepy electronics mixed with haunting lyrics to create a dark atmospheric track (definitely Radiohead-esque). \nKeane gets down and dirty with politics on the rather energetic "Is It Any Wonder," a song about the British involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Also dealing with war is the moving track "A Bad Dream," based on a poem by W.B. Yeats. \n"Crystal Ball" is very poppy and catchy, single material possibly. This song is followed by the final three tracks of the album which span around fifteen minutes. The last track is an epic finale to a magnificent album, while the former two are much more mellow and relaxing, very atmospheric and lush (hints of Radiohead trickle through again).\nMost of the songs on Under The Iron Sea sound very similar, which is the main downfall of this album. But most of the tracks are either very epic or very mellow and piano driven, and the flow of these elements is stunning. The amazing thing is that this album brings so much energy and emotion without the use of any guitars whatsoever (you might think you hear guitars on "Put It Behind You," but that's just crafty use of keyboards and synth). Nothing on this album is rather groundbreaking or technical; it's just simple pop music that is rather engaging at the core.\nUnder The Iron Sea is a nice listen, something to relax with; something to help get deep into your thoughts. They are a very talented band, and maybe a little bit shadowed by the likes of bands like Coldplay and U2. Keane is definitely a band that isn't making music for the media hype though. This is a truly fulfilling album that will grow on you after a few listens or so.