The previous album by Keane, “Under the Iron Sea”, was an eclectic mix of different sounds, even as it was an evolution from the relatively simple songwriting of their debut. I was left wondering, as the release of this album began creeping up, if Keane would continue along the more contemplative and layered path with fare like “Atlantic”, or if “Is It Any Wonder?” was a hallmark of the future.
1) Spiralling – This song certainly answered my question. It took a moment to realize that this was, in fact, Keane, but it didn’t take long to appreciate what they were trying to evoke. This may sound too much like “The Killers” for some, but I love this song and could listen to it all day long. (9/10)
2) The Lovers are Losing – The same applies to this song. Keane has always been good at harmonizing, and the chorus is no exception. I can’t help but note that they went with a Jeff Lynne vibe with the production of this song, which is usually a bad sign, but I think it worked in this case. (9/10)
3) Better Than This – The first half of this song is a bit rough for me. I don’t like the vocal effect, and it feels like something is missing. That’s because it is, and when the additional layers come in later in the song, I like it a lot better. (7/10)
4) You Haven’t Told Me Anything – I find this song to be like many of the lesser entries in the Keane catalog: inexplicably repetitive, and not in particular interesting ways. This is one I tend to skip or leave off the Favorites list. (6/10)
5) Perfect Symmetry – Now this is more like it. Some of the lyrics may be a tad trite, especially in the choral section, but this is like some magnificent overwrought 80’s anthem, and I couldn’t love it more for it. I know it will sound pretentious to many, but wouldn’t this be awesome live? (9/10)
6) You Don’t See Me – I have to be in the right mood for the slower songs by Keane, and that applies to this song as well. The vocals are gorgeous, however, and the lyrical style is a bit more akin to the earlier albums, so it’s definitely a decent track. It’s just not one of the highlights for me. (7/10)
7) Again & Again – I love the anger of this song, how it almost attacks the listener. It’s also very energetic. This is about as close as Keane has ever come to a full-out rock song, and it works tremendously well. (9/10)
Playing Along – This sounds like a mixture of tracks from the previous album and some of the production effects introduced to their bag of tricks for this album. While it works, it’s not the kind of song that demands my attention. (7/10)
9) Pretend That You’re Alone – This sounds like something in a pseudo-classic style, perhaps 80’s era David Bowie. The message of the song is interesting, to say the least. Depending on my mood, this can be a fun song. I’d love to see how this would do as a single! (7/10)
10) Black Burning Heart – Take away the synthesizers and slow down the beat, and this would have easily have been one of the most powerful Keane songs imaginable. As it stands, it’s still a great song, but it could have been so much better in the vein of “Bedshaped” or “The Frog Prince”. (8/10)
11) Love is the End – This is more in the older Keane style than any other song on the album, with soaring backing vocals and beautiful towards the end. I’m not sure that it meshes well with the rest of the tracks on the album, but it’s a gorgeous song. (8/10)
12) Time to Go – Some albums don’t end quite right. Keane has not had that problem in the past, but I’m not sure about this as a final track. The previous song was, in my opinion, a better closer. The theme of the song makes sense of its placement, but the style of the song just didn’t hit the right note for me. (7/10)
Starting with a furious new sound, this album is not quite what I expected from Keane, but I can’t deny that it worked for me. Every Keane album has a handful of songs that don’t quite tickle my fancy, and that was true in this case. But it also had a few songs that I could sing along to all day. What else could I ask for?
Final Rating: 7.8/10 (above average)
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