When Keane debuted in the early part of the last decade, they were often derided as kind of a poor man’s Coldplay. As a result, they haven’t been as successful as they should be on these shores-at least in this blerd’s humble opinion. Their last couple of albums-Perfect Symmetry and the Night Train EP-found them experimenting a bit. Less earnest piano pop, more ’80s style dance-rock (“Spiralling” should have been a #1 smash) and collaborations with the likes of Somali rapper K’naan. Coldplay’s latest album finds them exploring dance textures and collaborating with Rihanna. Now who’s following who, again?
I’d argue that the lesser-known band has actually made better music of late, and the most recent proof is in their shimmering new single, “Silenced By The Night.” It’s a return to a more familiar sound: heavy on the piano, big chorus, you know the deal. As regressive as it is, this is a one-listen hit, though. Good stuff. Keane’s new album, Strangeland, is out May 7th.