ALT-POP
They've always been moody dudes, but things were looking particularly gloomy for Keane following the release of 2006's Under the Iron Sea (when the British trio canceled a tour while lead singer Tom Chaplin went to rehab). But on their third album they actually sound like they're having fun. "Spiralling," the opening cut and first single, sets the bouncy tone with its '80s-inspired dance-pop.
Other up-tempo highlights like "You Haven't Told Me Anything" and "Better Than This" sound as if they could have been on the soundtrack to a Molly Ringwald movie. The latter is, like, totally Wham! Keane still being Keane, though, the lyrics aren't always as upbeat as the music. And the sweetly pining "You Don't See Me," one of only three real ballads, demonstrates that they can still make perfect melancholy.
