Keane – Under the Iron Sea

Interscope

The cherubic lads in Keane have always worn their influences on their collective sleeve, and Under the Iron Sea is no exception. Kickoff track “Atlantic” is an unapologetic Radiohead rip-off, and the dirty wah-pedal intro to “Is It Any Wonder” is pure Achtung Baby-era U2. But while the group won’t be applauded for its originality, Under the Iron Sea recoups the loss with improved musical taste.

The Coldplay rip-offs from 2004’s Hopes and Fears are all but gone, the somber atmosphere has been lifted, and the lyrics – while still resembling Hallmark cards at times – are bolder than before. Is this really Keane, the band that gained its success with meandering piano ballads? Are they really criticizing Tony Blair’s politics now? Are they actually writing grand, technicolor rock songs? And woah, did they mean to sound like Queen on “Leaving So Soon?”

Frontman Tom Chaplin still looks like a baby, but his golden vocals have matured into some of the best pipes around. His whispers and full-throated shouts make even the most banal lyrics interesting, and the audible gasps for breath in “Is It Any Wonder” lend some human elements to this vocal superhero. It’s the kind of convincing voice that immediately wins people over, and if Bill Clinton could carry a tune, he’d probably sound like this.

All (questionable) political allusions aside, Under the Iron Sea does exactly what it should: avoid the sophomore slump without recreating the previous album. Criticize its derivativeness if you must, but at least it’s derivative of the right stuff.

Sample MP3:
Crystal Ball

The Submarines – Declare a New State!

Nettwerk

When collaborators-turned-lovers John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard broke up in 2004, they did what most musicians do in such situations – they wrote about it. Then they did what any estranged lover would do in such a situation – they played their songs for each other. Then they did what any sensible person would do after hearing tunes this bittersweetly cute – they got back together.

Awwwwww.

Declare a New State!, the couple’s debut album as The Submarines, mixes love songs with a side of wounded, heartbroken pride. These are the songs that Dragonetti and Hazard, now married, wrote to each other during a wintry exile of the heart. The genre is familiar – fuzzy, drum-machined twee pop – but these lyrics battle such happy instrumentation with confusion and crushed hope. It’s a contrast that pervades the entire album and sets the band apart from such similarly-married acts as Mates of State. The Submarines don’t play sugary, cotton candy pop. They play sad songs in contented disguises.

Dragonetti’s slow-and-steady delivery on “Vote” lends a sunny approach to an otherwise sad song, and Hazard’s voice sometimes recalls Susanna Hoffs (particularly during the clef-climbing bridge of “Brighter Discontent”). On “Hope,” Dragonetti laments, “Ain’t no sunshine gonna take away this rain” while his wife coos in the background like a constant reminder of his gloom. The Submarines love this kind of interplay, and they use it to their fullest advantage.

Amidst all the reverb, harmonies, and strummed guitars, one fact remains: that it’s hard for one emotion – hopeless love – to carry an entire album. Had the duo waited until their reconciliation to write this material, some new themes might’ve decorated this relatively bleak tracklist. Still, Declare a New State! is remarkably uplifting. Maybe it’s a result of the blissful orchestration overpowering the subject matter… or maybe it’s just refreshing to hear a band that’s entirely worthy of such a charming backstory.

Sample MP3:
Hope

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 27th, 2006 at 4:32 pm and is filed under Short Cuts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Edit this entry.