Product Description

Keane's debut album, 'Hopes And Fears', follows their Fierce Panda single, 'Everybody's Changing'. The East-Sussex trioplay piano led melodic indie rock evoking elements of both OMD and Coldplay. This release combines gentle synths with dramatic piano leads to create an indie pop crossover.

Track Listing

1. Somewhere Only We Know
2. Bend and Break
3. We Might As Well Be Strangers
4. Everybody's Changing
5. Your Eyes Open
6. She Has No Time
7. Can't Stop Now
8. Sunshine
9. This is the Last Time
10. On A Day Like Today
11. Untitled I
12. Bedshaped

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #814 in Music
• Released on: 2004-05-10
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
It's perhaps inevitable that Keane's debut album, Hopes and Fears, will draw numerous comparisons to Coldplay. Like them, Keane were discovered by indie label Fierce Panda, who released a single ("Everybody's Changing"). And, like Coldplay, Keane also do a fine trade in catchy and heartfelt indie-pop, all bruised verses and soaring choruses. But though their sound is sure to please fans of Coldplay and Travis, the reality is that Keane manage to sound that little bit more delicate. This could be down to the band's relatively unusual make-up: rather than guitars, the trio use a piano.

At its best, Hopes and Fears is reminiscent of Bends-era Radiohead and singer Tom Chaplin's voice is closer to Thom Yorke's falsetto then Chris Martin's cracked whine. On tracks such as the hit single "Somewhere Only We Know", they manage to squeeze an epic-sounding poignancy from their stripped-down sound (a lot of this is due to the album's superb production). Across 12 tracks, all this slow-burning melancholy skates a bit close to self-indulgence and you can't help but wish they'd rock out a bit. But Hopes and Fears is still a remarkable and surprisingly mature debut album from a young band with a bright future. --Robert Burrow

Customer Reviews

elo anyone?
fab album. could have been written by jeff lyne. i suspect heavily influenced by the elo. anyone spot that?

Great album, but a bit one-tone
I've had this album for years, and having not listened to it for a while decided to stick it back on my CD player. Having forgot how much I loved this album, I'm glad I did.

It's a smart, mature album which is a sharply produced, effort-filled debut. It's certainly a grower, as I initially found the album a bit one-tone (the emotional range of this album seems to range from mild melancholy to, er, wistful melancholy), but it grows on you, and one by one each track will suddenly click into place, and you'll only hear great music, pure and simple. There's very little filler on the album (although after a few listens the whole album becomes one big blur as some songs sound a tiny bit similar to each other, but it's not as bed as it sounds).
It's not revolutionary, and there's no standout track (but if I had to pick one it'll be the closing Bedshaped), just a great album. Expect no more than that, and you'll be pleased with it.

A tremendous debut album!

The fabulous debut album from Keane that will never be matched - delivered in A-Ha style.

Any fan of A-Ha will immediately recognise the euphoric highs mixed in with the melancholic vocal quality that A-Ha have been turning out for years. Euphoric and subliminal, this release is one continual high that will have you hooked on first hearing! This does not need time to grow; indeed this would have caught the attention of many by the clips used on the TV Ad. alone. Once heard, this will haunt you 'til you go out and buy it!

Excellent!