Keane, a UK based alternative rock band, released its fourth album titled Strangeland in May 2012. It is the band’s first full album since Perfect Symmetry which was released in 2008. The album has been produced by Island Records and is the first since Jesse Quin was featured as an official member and bassist.

List of Tracks

The album consists of 12 tracks and do not feature any guest vocalists. All of the songs on Strangeland have been penned and composed by the band members themselves. The first or opening track of the album is called You Are Young and features melodious piano music. The song is a tribute to young love and its innocence. Silenced By the Night is the lead single of the album and offers optimistic ideas of love through poignant lyrics.

Some of the other songs on the album are Neon River, Watch How You Go, Disconnected, The Starting Line, In Your Own Time, Sea Fog and On the Road. The pace of the music is slow in Watch How You Go as the melodies carry on for almost four minutes. In Sovereign Light Café, lyrics such as wide-eyed dreamers impart a nostalgic feeling with haunting music.

General Review and Rating

Strangeland released to mixed reviews. Although the band has stepped out of its comfort zone and experimented with different types of music, the overall impact is not as stellar as expected. For instance, Keane has combined some bass beats and moody synths in Black River, but the song does not cause an effect in the mind of a listener.

One of the best songs on the album is Sea Fog where the lyrics are subtle but effective in their rendition by the band. Similar to the group’s previous albums, Strangeland, while it offers inspirational music with great lyrics, is not the best work from the band and receives a rating of 3 stars out of five