![]() “Fearful child, have faith in brighter days/Stay until this darkness fades away,” Chaplin starts. “You are Young,” the album’s opening track, wastes no time getting into U2-level soaring vocals, with big, bold piano melodies leading the way into a recitation of Hallmark-worthy words of encouragement. However, the sweeping, bombastic arrangements and the often repetitive, clichéd lyrics prevent the album from being truly enjoyable, let alone memorable. Then again, neither are most of music’s most affecting songs. The messages in Strangeland are sweet and simple: the album is about friendship and loyalty, dashed dreams and renewed faith, familiar streets once walked hand-in-hand with a lover, only to seem strange and distant after the fallout-these aren’t unique revelations. Tim Rice-Oxley (pianist, principal composer and songwriter) never realizes that some restraint would go a long way for the group. Rather, there’s just far too much happening all at once, leaving the listener overwhelmed. ![]() It’s not that lead singer Tom Chaplin isn’t a capable and skilled vocalist, or that-when isolated-the piano melodies aren’t beautiful and uplifting. ( MORE: Do I Hate Coldplay? Or Just Think I Do?) ![]() Strangeland, Keane’s fourth studio album, is a throwback to their earlier style. Unfortunately, this period of exploration appears to have been short-lived. It was a refreshing move from a band so synonymous with brooding and often whiny tracks. The albumallowed the band to gain some respect with critics for actually trying something interesting-they experimented with electronic blips and beats, dipping their toe in Radiohead’s waters (though more often sounding inspired by Tears for Fears or Bowie), and took on more adventurous arrangements. But 2008’s Perfect Symmetrywas bold in its deviation from the familiar, booming choral arrangements that first brought the British pop-rockers’ success. Until that time, they’d been endlessly corralled with Coldplay and Snow Patrol, bands also known for their emotionally exploitative production. Follow years ago, it seemed liked Keane was finally evolving.
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