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Editorial Review:
Would it be outlandish to suggest that wholesome rugby-shouldered ruddy-faced English piano-pop boys Keane have spent the best part of their two-album career fanning the impression that they exist somewhere between an easy Mothers’ Day gift and the album it’s ok to give your girlfriend back when you split up, just in order to blow everyone out of the water like 80s neon-pop commandos with the boldness of their third? You know, utilising the element of surprise? Probably, but even though their debut (Hopes & Fears) and its follow up (Under the Iron Sea) may have been broader creative successes than many care to admit, it is true that Perfect Symmetry is a synth-brandishing Tyrannosaurus Rex next to those trundlingly melodic Trojan horses. From the moment "Spiralling", the single that made a nation choke on its Yakult, erupts like a Top of the Pops volcano with flashes of David Bowie, Talking Heads, Erasure, Prefab Sprout and James, amongst others--with the "WHOOOO!" interjections impacting like lava hitting an LA swimming pool and sending cocktails flying--the album is generally as taut, bulky and bronzed as a teen Arnold Schwarzenegger. Old habits die hard and there is still much in the way mid-paced melancholy, but they are sung with clarity and the songwriting stays tight with some deep lyrics and turns of phrase to balance out the vague and which presumably reflect Tom Chaplin’s documented decent into addiction. "Playing Along", a beautifully arranged set of textures and gathering emotional bursts, is a particular high. --James Berry
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Not their best and the mastering is attrocious. I have both of Keane's previous albums and they've always been some of my favourite albums to chill out to. Unfortunately, this is practically impossible to do with the new album. One one hand, the style is quite different to previous Keane albums with the first track (Spiralling) particularly emphasising this thanks to its 80s style. This makes it much more up-beat than previous Keane albums. Whether you like this change or not is up to you. However, the thing about this album which ruins it the... more info
Adventurous and ear-catching I loved Hopes & Fears before eventually tiring of it after a few months and thought Under the Iron Sea had superb high points with the odd filler thrown in.
I bought this album confident that there would be at least 3 or four tracks to throw on my ipod playlist.
Perfect Symmetry has totally surpassed all my expectations. Keane have produced a depth to this recording which changes my previous view that they are throw-away artists who wrote only decent if disposable music.
The opener... more info
Finally a return to goodness. It may have taken a while, but they have finally returned back to writing great songs. After a poor second album Keane have returned with a really strong third album. From start to finish this is an outstanding album which has catchy tracks such as "Spiralling" and "Better Than This." It does take a few listens before you can really appreciate it, but with every listen it is growing on me, and I only bought it last week! I've only given it four stars because I feel it should only have five stars... more info
Fantastically Different It's great to hear a band bold enough to try something different with a third album rather than let it be a marker of their steady decline (e.g. Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight). With 'Perfect Symmetry' Keane pulls off a welcome and surprisingly different return. The 80's feel is apparent but the album avoids becoming a pastiche. The album makes you think of Queen, Bowie and other greats, but the strong vocals and melodies make it unmistakably Keane. Tempo is generally upbeat throughout, tinged with retro... more info
