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While many wonder about the future of pop music and the entire rock spectrum as a whole, others speculate that one thing is for certain: British rock will play an important role.
The early 90’s saw the entrance of many key players in British music: Oasis, Radiohead, Blur, etc. Listeners will now be reawakened to the revolution with the band Keane’s latest album.
Entitled “Under the Iron Sea,” the latest set from the English rockers is the follow-up to their Grammy-nominated debut, “Hopes and Fears.” Although it was released in June, “Under the Iron Sea” is finally getting the radio play and sponsorship it deserves.
The 11-track album blends soft piano tones, jazzy drum beats and smooth lyrics reminiscent of the bands U2 and Coldplay. Newcomers to the band may find the latest album lacking louder melodies, but will be pleased at the amount of relaxation each track provides. The first song, entitled “Atlantic,” is no exception.
The song starts with a simple melody and climaxes into a very stylized compilation of dark piano notes and emphasized drum beats. With the addition of several electronic sounds and emotional lyrics, the song gives proof as to why bands like Keane and Radiohead are so popular. The ability to manifest such emotion in a single song is a skill only found in these types of popular bands.
The second track and popular single, “Is It Any Wonder?” continues the inspirational music, but switches tone slightly. Unlike “Atlantic,” the introduction of “Is It Any Wonder?” implements a “wah”-like sound effect that gives the song a louder and quicker melody.
Lead singer Tom Chaplin’s lyrics only add to the greatness. He sings, “Is it any wonder I’m tired?/Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?/Is it any wonder I don’t know what’s right?” Not only are the lyrics catchy for the new listener, but they actually give the song a deep, personal meaning to those listeners experiencing the same emotions found in the track.
“Nothing In My Way,” the third track, continues the personal connection with a progressive piano melody and complementary set of lyrics. Although many may find the piano and drum beats rather simplistic, others will find that they emphasize Chaplin’s inspirational lyrics “why’d you say/It’s just another day, nothing in my way/I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna stay.”
The piano plays such a key role in the song that it is featured exclusively during the bridge of the track. However, piano isn’t the only important instrument in the album.
The fourth track, “Leaving So Soon?” features somewhat of a duet between bass, guitar and drums. The result is an uplifting song full of complexity and uniqueness. Many may even argue that the same uniqueness gives British rock a larger return to modern music. The ability to blend 90’s electronica with soft rock gives Keane’s new album the reputation it deserves.
Tracks such as “Bad Dream” and “Put It behind You” cannot even be described, as they feature so many excellent types of music compiled into each. While the result may possibly be disliked by fans of single genres, the tracks can easily be enjoyed by fans eager to seek out new styles of music.
“The Frog Prince,” the final song on the album, for example, gives fans of rock music a progressive beat with loud drums and quick lyrics. It gives electronic fans new types of synthetic sound effects and melodies. Moreover, the song can please soft-rock fans with an easy-going piano section.
It’s doubtful that these types of songs are able to please everyone, but the attempt is what gives bands like Keane a second chance in the sea of modern music. “Under the Iron Sea” is more than just a second album: it is proof that modern music is becoming a larger spectrum of styles rather than being categorized into isolated genres.
The growing fan base for the album shows new fans that “Under the Iron Sea” may be worth a shot even if its mixture of piano and bass guitar didn’t gain extreme popularity during the initial release period.
