Hopes & Fears 20

by Keane

Overview

The English music press can never let anyone be. They're always quick to hail the next big thing, and in this case, the next big Coldplay is Keane. (Lowgold briefly held that title upon its debut release in 2001, but U.K. critics rushed to give that crown to someone else.) Keane haven't positioned themselves to be kings of anything, though, let alone the next Coldplay. Sure, Coldplay's biggest hit to date, "Clocks," included only pianos, and they released the Safety EP on Fierce Panda, which is also Keane's label, but those are the only things Keane have in common with Coldplay. Alongside their beautiful, emotive dalliance of instrumentation is one thing that'll separate Keane from all the rest, and that's drive. The band's open-hearted ambition on Hopes and Fears is audible on every song. Lead vocalist Tom Chaplin's rich vocals are as vibrant as any choir, and track such as "This Is the Last Time," "Bend and Break," and "Can't Stop Now" reflect Keane's more savory, dramatic moments. Confidence bursts throughout, and for a band that has been around seven years and has never released a studio full-length album until now, achieving nearly epic-like status is quite impressive. Keane obviously have the songs and they have a strong voice leading the front; however, Tim Rice-Oxley (piano/keyboards/bass) and Richard Hughes (drums) allow Hopes and Fears to come alive with glamour and without the sheen of slick studio production. Even slow build-up tracks like "Bedshaped" and "We Might as Well Be Strangers" are just as passionate, if not more so, than some of the bigger numbers on the album. Some might find Keane's debut a bit stagy, or too theatrical at first, but that's okay. Listening to "Somewhere Only We Know" alone a few times is more than enough to convince you that Keane stand next to Coldplay -- challenging them rather than emulating -- and it's a respectable match at that. ~ MacKenzie Wilson

Product Details

Release Date:	05/17/2024
Label:	Universal Import
UPC:	0602458643565
Rank:	227168

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Keane   Primary Artist
Tom Chaplin   Vocals
Jesse Quin   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Tom Hobden   Violin
Richard Hughes   Drums
Tim Rice-Oxley   Bass,Piano,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass),Keyboard Bass,5-string Banjo

Technical Credits

James Sanger   Audio Production,Mixing,Composer,Producer,Programming
Keane   Audio Production,Mixing,Composer,Producer,Recording,Programming
Andy Green   Audio Production,Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Pro-Tools,Digital Editing
Tom Chaplin   Composer
Mark "Spike" Stent   Mixing
Martin Kierszenbaum   A&R
Peter Hoff   Mixing
Sanger   Composer
Fallout Shelter   A&R
Steve Fallone   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Adam Clayton   Composer
Ingmar Schelzel   Engineer
Rob Haggett   Mixing,Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Adam Tudhope   Management
Jon Lowe   Mixing
Andrea Ruffalo   A&R
Frank Arkwright   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Paul Hewson   Composer
David Treahearn   Mixing Assistant
Madefire   Design
Ingo Kunzi   Mixing
Alex Lake   Design,Photography
Tom Hough   Engineer
Ferdy Unger Hamilton   A&R
David Treahern   Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Ami Spishock   Product Manager
Henrik Mueller   Engineer
Richard Hughes   Composer,Composer
David Evans   Composer
Paul David Hewson   Composer
Nathan Thomas   Mixing
Ted Jensen   Mastering
Larry Mullen, Jr.   Composer
Tim Rice-Oxley   Composer
Greg Calbi   Mastering,Mastering Engineer