Artist Keane

You’d be right to notice that Keane sounds an awful lot like fellow Brits Coldplay, what with the piano-driven melodies and heavy pop hooks. Both bands dip from the same pot—almost uncomfortably so—but there’s room for more than one keys-loving pop-rock outfit. This is especially true since the release of Keane’s third album, 2008’s Perfect Symmetry. On it, the band steers away from the poignant piano ballads and delivers instead new-wave-influenced dance rock, as heard in the excellent “Spiralling.” For the album, the three-piece utilized instruments like saxophone and a musical saw, and, curiously, recorded vocals through a drum with the help of producer Jon Brion. The recent Night Train EP keeps things funky, featuring rapper K'naan on two tracks.

Updated 07/27/2010