Keane struggle to find themselves

Keane is another talented UK band that has blown up the American charts.
Like peers Coldplay and Snow Patrol, they write songs that aren’t overly complicated, but relatable to all audiences. It’s no surprise that their previous two releases Hopes and Fears and Under The Iron Sea were substantial hits.

Their newest, Perfect Symmetry, extends the boundaries of their sound just a bit more. Whereas 2006’s Under The Iron Sea provided slow, sinister ballads, this album gives a new glimpse of potential as this trio figures out how to fully embrace pop-alternative music.

Perfect Symmetry begins with the positive-charged anthems “Spiralling,” “The Lovers Are Losing” and “Better Than This.” All three songs explode with sounds that are sure to make people doubt that this is in fact the band that previously produced the sorrow-filled songs “A Bad Dream” and “Bedshaped.”

Instead, Keane steer clear of heartache and direct themselves to understanding. Singer-writer Tom Chaplin rings in “Better Than This” with lines like “You can put your faith in the phone-in / You can tell yourself you’re doing your best / You can do so much better than this.”

Though Keane does provide great, catchy-pop sounds and melodies, what is most disturbing here is the absence of a standout track. Almost all the songs here are good, but none shine even as much as the band’s previous single “Somewhere Only We Know.”

All hope seems lost until you reach the final track “Love Is The End.” Lyrics such as “I took off my clothes and I ran to the ocean / Looking for somewhere to start anew / And when I was drowning in that holy water / All I could think of was you,” drive the song, and finally Perfect Symmetry has a track to remember.

Here, you can catch a glimpse of the old Keane while noticing the new directions they’re taking.

Perfect Symmetry is definitely a step above Keane’s last efforts to fully solidify the grasp of alternative pop music, but in doing so, they almost lose the identity they’ve built up so far.