album review

When I was a sophomore in high school,

I took an art history class in a room so tiny that there was only one table. Diagonally across from me sat a boy – he was a senior, he was hilarious, and he was quite possibly one of the most attractive guys I’d ever seen in my life. His name was Keane, and he was undeniably frickin’ hot. Of course, my class crush fizzled by the end of the semester when I realized he would never go for a gangly, brace-faced fifteen-year-old, but he is still the first thought that comes to mind when I think of the band that shares the same name.

The second thought, however, pertains to the album Under the Iron Sea. Keane’s indie rock-pop sound has a breezy lightness to it, yet in no way puts you to sleep. Most of the time, artists of the same genre bore the hell out of me, but Keane finds a way to keep up the energy while simultaneously building dream-like melodies with sleepily calming vocals. “Leaving So Soon?” and “Is it Any Wonder?” are poetic and upbeat, and even though there isn’t a single bad track, “Broken Toy” is a standout favorite, with dissonant, ringing vocals that are so audibly interesting, you almost have to put it on repeat.

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