Perfect Symmetry by Keane
Perfect Symmetry is the third studio album by English rock band Keane, released on 13 October 2008 in the United Kingdom. The album's title was released on 31 July 2008. The band had completely transformed their look and their new album was said to be also very unexpected. According to international Island Records manager, Jon Turner, "the general international feel is of excitement and "Spiralling" is a favourite track of the US company." Musically, Perfect Symmetry is a departure from Keane's established piano-pop sound, with the band employing guitars for the first time since their early musical beginnings and a larger reliance on synthesizers than their previous effort Under the Iron Sea, as well as experimenting with other instruments such as the musical saw, saxophone and string arrangements. Also most notable is the emergence of a 1980s' synth pop-influenced style on most songs such as "Spiralling" and "Again and Again". The album is the result of a more relaxed and creative recording process in comparison to the tense sessions for Under the Iron Sea. One of the only piano-driven songs on the album is the track of the same name. Jesse Quin joined Keane from this album as a studio and live support member. He became an official member 3 years later.
All hail the 1980s? Well, the UK’s Keane have plugged in their retro synthesizers and written a handful of tunes (“Spiralling”, “The Lovers Are Losing”, “You Haven’t Told Me Anything”) that recall the pure synth-pop bliss of that era with lots of exaggerated productions. Keane keep a tighter grip on the production end, never allowing a reverb to swallow them. Their third album, 2008’s <i>Perfect Symmetry</i>, was recorded in Paris, London, and Berlin, with a variety of producers stopping by for input (Jon Brion, Stuart Price) on this self-produced excursion into a new Keane. This “new” Keane revel in the upbeat propulsion of “Better Than This” that allows singer Tom Chaplin to shriek in mock falsetto and generally play up the festive atmosphere where once brooding might have taken hold. And this all-keyboard band even adds some guitars in spots; they temper the mood a tad. The title track still swoons with a gravitas and a sense of personal mission: “I shake through the wreckage for signs of life”. The closing ballad, “Love is the End”, puts a gripping final nail into love’s endless cycle of hope and defeat.
