UNDER THE IRON SEA - KEANE
For all the lavish praise that guitarless U.K. trio Keane garnered for its ultra-poppy debut, “Hopes and Fears,” a subsequent backlash reproached the very elements that made the band a star: too easy a flow with its graciously accessible melodies. Keane does take more chances on “Under the Iron Sea,” with first single “Is It Any Wonder?” churning keyboards into a blackwater tsunami that at least sounds like electric guitars. Elsewhere, Tom Chaplin’s touchy-feely vocals contrast between a-ha and Sting, maintaining an aural air of placidity, even as keyboards give tempo to lyrics that reflect discontent and searching. Closer “The Frog Prince” (with its autobiographically torn theme of “feed your people or lose your throne”) is exceptional, as are the pounding “Atlantic” and downright bubbly “Crystal Ball.” An album to return to again and again, whose depth grows with every spin. Billboard
