Album Review: Under The Iron Sea by Keane

In the two years that followed the release of their debut album, Keane established themselves as a promising part of the mainstream rock canon. Hit singles like "Somewhere Only We Know," "Bedshaped," and "Everything's Changing" made Hopes and Fears a transatlantic hit, earning the trio two Brit Awards, a Grammy nomination, and a host of sold-out world tours. Critics deemed them as likeable and as accessible as Coldplay, but Keane's return isn't as buoyant as their initial introduction, even if it keeps melody at the forefront.

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Ask Keane to comment on the human condition, and they'll write a well-upholstered ballad about it. Their weakness for orchestral drama (which they achieve as a guitarless three-piece) and ability to condense it into four quivering minutes has brought them both critical derision and a debut, Hopes and Fears, that has just marked its 85th week in the chart. For their second album, they haven't fixed what wasn't broken - so here's another emotive collection that is prepared to huff and puff until it's embedded in the Radio 2 playlist.

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