Singles

Keane - Is It Any Wonder?

Ross Fairhurst 29/05/2006

Rating: 3/5

Keane return with the first physical single from their forthcoming album, Under the Iron Sea, the follow up to hugely successful Hopes and Fears. Many wondered how Keane could progress with the basic set up of Piano, Voice and Drums. They have tried to channel their efforts into making a "darker, bolder" album with a more experimental sound.

The trademark standard electric piano led sound has been replaced by that of the electric piano being chanelled through a series of effects pedals. A progression but hardly experimental as described. The effects used make the piano sound like a cheap casio synth guitar. The main riff of the song is actually pretty decent but suffers from being on the effect laden piano. Perhaps a real guitar would have been apt here lads?

Lyrics apparently about the frustration of todays generation totally miss the mark and makes the band seem a little bit wet behind the ears, a little too eager to be taken slightly more seriously.

There is plenty of melody to be shown here as with all of Keane's songs but there is nothing here that quite grabs you like the previous album. There is nothing here to hum along to or sing in the shower unlike the pop tunes of Everybody's Changing or Bedshaped. You also feel like you are constantly waiting for the song to go somewhere or do something but it never really does. A bit of an anti-climax really.

Don't get me wrong, it is a pleasant enough song but it just lacks the bite or catchiness of their previous singles.