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For many musicians, writing a new album is often a Catch-22. Release an album that sounds a lot like previous albums (even if people loved the previous albums), and some fans will complain that you’re stuck in a rut. Try something different, and other fans will complain that they don’t even know you anymore. While the former was the case on Snow Patrol’s latest (which, in case you haven’t been keeping track, I kinda liked anyway), the latter is the case with Keane’s latest, Perfect Symmetry. And I can’t stop listening to it.
Don’t get me wrong—I absolutely love Keane’s earlier work. I still remember falling in love with the hauntingly beautiful melodies on 2004’s Hopes and Fears. It’s a spectacular album—so much so, that it might just bring tears to your eyes. And if you haven’t already heard it, you really should check it out. The follow-up, 2006’s Under the Iron Sea, was more of the same—lots of piano, beautiful melodies, heartbreaking lyrics.
So when I heard “Spiralling,” the first track (and the first single) from Keane’s latest, Perfect Symmetry, I was stunned. This wasn’t the Keane I knew and loved—it was poppier, with a retro, ‘80s dance music feel. It was different. It was shocking. And after I got over the initial surprise, I loved it—and I still do.
No, the old Keane wasn’t broke—so maybe they didn’t need to fix it. But Perfect Symmetry is a great album anyway—as long as you can keep an open mind. It’s still easy-going and thoughtful, with often poetic lyrics. And some of the tracks (like “You Don’t See Me” and “Love Is the End”) still have the same beautifully melancholy feel that you’ve come to expect from the British trio. But, overall, Perfect Symmetry is a huge departure from the old, familiar Keane. Many of the songs are more upbeat. At times, they even sound triumphant (like “Again & Again”). And, often, instead of the usual piano, you’ll hear synthesizers.
Really, I can’t blame the guys for trying something new. After all, one can only listen to haunting and melancholy for just so long before it turns into just a tad bit depressing. And if I can’t listen to it repeatedly without getting the slightest bit depressed, I can only imagine what it’s like to play the stuff every single day, over and over again. So I think of tracks like “Spiralling” as the band’s mental health tracks. They’re the band’s attempts to keep things fresh and fun and new—and they work so very well.
For the Keane purist, Perfect Symmetry might be too different. But, for newcomers, as well as those of us who love Keane—and who, at the same time, secretly (or, in my case, not-so-secretly) miss the fun, carefree style of ‘80s pop music—Perfect Symmetry is a surprisingly brilliant mix.
