Photo by: Last.fm
The evolution of Keane began in 2004 when the UK band introduced a sound no one was familiar with, pop-rock with a piano kick.
The band’s single, “Somewhere Only We Know,” became one we all knew, enjoying the comforts of piano-pop on the dance floor when the pop of Usher, Ludacris and Lil Jon was just too much.
When The Fray entered–and dominated–the piano-rock stratosphere, Keane had to carve out a different niche. On its second album, Under the Iron Sea, Keane reached for electric guitars instead of the black and white ivories. “Is It Any Wonder?” broke the band’s musical mold but still sat well alongside earlier hits.
Six years later and Keane continues to evolve as a three-piece band with its newest EP, Night Train. Yet, with this, Keane’s fourth set of songs, the band equips itself with the most powerful weapon yet: Somali-Canadian guest musician K’Naan.
Night Train brilliantly highlights every point in Keane’s musical evolution thus far, from inspiring–albeit formulaic–piano-rock to electric guitars and worldly beats.
“My Shadow,” plays out all of Keane’s history and then some. Founded on subtle piano rhythms and reverberating drum rimshots, “Shadow” sounds like an outtake from Keane’s debut, Hopes and Fears.
Then if “Shadow” is a trip down memory lane, “House Lights” is waking up in the morning with a blank slate. Lead singer Tom Chaplin doesn’t contribute any vocals; we just hear a scrambling noise that serves as a benchmark for creativity.
Keane looks skyward on the impressive “Clear Skies,” as Chaplin’s vocal range jumps from falsetto to tenor in less than a second. The lyrics are as strong as the vocal, as Tim Rice-Oxley proves why his esteem as a songwriter is so deserved: “I’ve never seen such high hopes, I’ve never seen such tired eyes.”
However, “Stop for a Minute” with K’Naan sounds like a ready-made charity single for the next national disaster. The song’s epic sing-along chorus is a direct shot to your heart, and, like the power ballads of Keane’s earlier days, it will make you want to lift your lighter above your head and sway it in communal praise. So is it any wonder that Keane has never sounded better?
