I'm gonna take you higher

Next month, Keane will close the first chapter of their decade-long career with "The Best Of Keane". This, their first retrospective, pulls together 20 tracks from across all four of their albums - "Hopes And Fears", "Under The Iron Sea", "Perfect Symmetry" and "Strangeland".

"Higher Than The Sun", one of two brand new tunes, will be the first single from "The Best Of Keane". Check out the animated video which just hit the interwebs.



Very nice. Quite a lot of editing went into that. The song, while still maintain the essence of Keane, comes across something like hybrid of Coldplay and The Killers. Not necessarily a bad thing.

However, I think the band needs to stretch a little. They need to try some sonic experimentation like they did on "Perfect Symmetry". The results were unexpectedly spectacular. Right now, it feels like they are treading water. Although I liked "Strangeland", it felt like they reversed course after the shift of the previous album.

"The Best Of Keane" will hit the "shops" on November 11. It will be available in several different configurations including a single 20-track CD of hits. The deluxe edition of the collection adds a second CD of 17 b-sides plus a DVD of an acoustic gig which took place in August of this year. There is also a special super deluxe edition set which contains the two CDs and DVD plus a small, 100 page hardcover photo scrapbook.

The deluxe edition of "The Best Of Keane" features the following 38 tracks.

CD1

1. Everybody's Changing
2. Somewhere Only We Know
3. Bend And Break
4. Bedshaped
5. This Is The Last Time
6. Atlantic
7. Is It Any Wonder?
8. Nothing In My Way
9. Hamburg Song
10. Crystal Ball
11. A Bad Dream
12. Try Again
13. Spiralling
14. Perfect Symmetry
15. My Shadow
16. Silenced By The Night
17. Disconnected
18. Sovereign Light Café
19. Higher Than The Sun
20. Won't Be Broken

CD 2

1. Snowed Under
2. Walnut Tree
3. Fly To Me
4. To The End Of The Earth
5. The Way You Want It
6. Something In Me Was Dying
7. Allemande
8. Let It Slide
9. He Used To Be A Lovely Boy
10. Thin Air
11. The Iron Sea (Magic Shop Version)
12. Maybe I Can Change
13. Time To Go
14. Staring At The Ceiling
15. Myth
16. Difficult Child
17. Sea Fog (Live In Mexico City)
18. Russian

cinematic strangeland

Keane are about to return from the wilderness with "Strangeland", their first new music since the "Night Train" EP in 2010.

It's their first, full longplayer in nearly four years since the sound altering "Perfect Symmetry" which saw them replace their delicate, piano led lushness with lots of buzzy synths and clattering drums. I, for one, loved the album and thought it was a bold and necessary step forward for Tim Rice-Oxley and co.

For the new album, it appears the band, now a foursome with the official addition of Jessie Quinn on bass guitar and percussion. And it appears they've returned to the velvety simplicity and cinematic scope of their first two albums. Tom Chaplin's yearning vocal soars above the beautifully produced arrangements and he seems to sing with a greater sense of assuredness and confidence

In anticipation of the album, the band have cobbled together a lovely overview of it and whacked it up on their website. Let's have a peek.



Ooh! That's lovely.

Keane's fourth, studio longplayer will be released on May 7th 2012. The tracklisting is as follows:

1. You Are Young
2. Silenced By The Night
3. Disconnected
4. Watch How You Go
5. Sovereign Light Café
6. On The Road
7. The Starting Line
8. Black Rain
9. Neon River
10. Day Will Come
11. In Your Own Time
12. Sea Fog

As well as the standard CD and digital versions of the album, "Strangeland" will be available as an extended CD with four bonus tracks and a vinyl elpee. Additionally, a deluxe CD/DVD combo will be released which includes the bonus tracks, five acoustic videos and a book packed with photographs as well as, a short story by British author William Boyd. That's a lot cash for fans to drop in one day. It's reminds me somewhat of the days when singles were released in five or six formats. Ah, the eighties. Bless.

"Strangeland" will be available from all fine "shops" on May 7.

minute Rice-Oxley

Keane have unveiled the new video they lensed for "Stop For A Minute", the lead track from their forthcoming EP thing, "Night Train".

It's not an album. It's a stop gap. It's a floor wax and a dessert topping. (You need to be a certain age for that last reference.)

It's srsly good stuff! Nice, widescreen, stadium chant. I like the call and response bits. It has a slight Roxy Music feel to it over a hip hop rhythm track with a splash of U2 woven through it. Nicely done, chaps!



The video gives me a bit of a headache with its sweeping, start/stop motion and morphing effects. I like the highly stylized look they were trying to achieve but the execution fell a bit flat.

Did they not have anyone to do Tom Chaplin's make up? He looks pale and spotty with blotches of razor burn showing. Are budgets for music videos that dire? Just stop at a Boots on the way to the shoot, darling!

Has anyone seen composer, Tim Rice-Oxley and drummer, Richard Hughes? Perhaps they knew they would be without a stylist that day and skipped out.

waiting for the night train

Keane have been a busy band since they reinvigorated their sound on their third long player, "Perfect Symmetry".

Now, after a long spell of touring, they announced details of their new, eight song EP, "Night Train", which is scheduled to be released on May 10. The tracklisting is as follows:

1. House Lights
2. Back In Time
3. Stop For A Minute
4. Clear Skies
5. Ishin Denshin (You've Got To Help Yourself)
6. Your Love
7. Looking Back
8. My Shadow

The EP was recorded in various studios during their "Perfect Symmetry" world tour. Collaborations include two contributions from Somali/Canadian rapper K'Naan on "Stop For A Minute" and "Looking Back", as well as Japanese baile funk MC Tigarah on "Ishin Denshin (You've Got To Help Yourself)". Apparently, on track, "Your Love", features a rare lead vocal from Tim Rice-Oxley, as well.

The band will be exploring more of the synth heavy sounds they showcased on their most recent album and will expand their sonic palette by blending in different genres and influences into their cinematic productions.