Brit Music Scene

Keane ‘Perfect Symmetry’ Out October 13 | Band Reveal London, Paris, LA Influences

by Dave Parrack on August 2nd, 2008

I wrote back in June about how Keane were eagerly finishing work on their new album, the follow up to 2006’s Under The Iron Sea. At the time not much was known about the album, with no name, no track listing, and no real details. But now the band have put some meat on the bones they tempted us with.

The album is to be called Perfect Symmetry, and will be released on October 13th. The band have spent some time away from the limelight, soaked up many influences, and are now ready to make their comeback. It’s well overdue as since I started writing Brit Music Scene a year ago, there’s been very little news from the band.

The album was recorded during the summer in Paris, Berlin, London and Los Angeles. Yeah, I couldn’t fit Berlin in to the title (as it would have messed with the symmetry), so sue me. Each city, their experiences in them, and the people they met, has contributed to the album in some way.

In a posting on their official website, on which there is now a timer counting down until the day of the album release, the band said:

“We’ve been lost in a world of new music over the last few months, [and are] very very, proud of the record.”

“We started out in Paris, where Jon Brion inspired us to create first and think later.”

“We took the night train to Berlin, where everything came together in an avalanche of experimentation that took us all by surprise, and where we made a pact with Stuart Price to ignore the rules of good taste.

“We’ve hidden ourselves away in the depths of the English countryside, recorded a new track in London at the last possible moment, and now we’re in Los Angeles tying up the loose ends.”

While Under The Iron Sea failed to really capture the public’s imagination, and indeed loose change, in the same way that 2004’s Hopes and Fears did, it was still a great album full of pop gems. I’m hoping that the time away from public scrutiny will have helped Keane produce more top quality songs that are instantly memorable.

I also expect to see and hear a more adult or mature sound to the new album. The band achieved almost overnight success, and consequently hit trouble when lead singer Tom Chaplin capitulated to the evils of drink and drugs. After going through that as a trio, I think this album could be their best yet.

[Photo Source: From Newscom with permission]

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POSTED IN: Albums, Announcements, Interviews, Keane, New Releases, News, Op Ed, Pop