Is Keane’s “Perfect Symmetry” Lost In “Spiralling”?
It’s definitely a refreshing sound that fans have not heard the likes of before.
Called a “train of thought about human endeavor, built on an outrageous groove,” British rock band Keane released their newest single Spiralling for free on their website earlier this month. A preview of what’s to come in October when their third studio album Perfect Symmetry drops, the radio edit of Spiralling has already been downloaded over half a million times since its debut online.
Not one to outdo themselves, Keane also announced their second single from the album will be a track called Lovers Are Losing.
“The band and the label are very keen to share something right away,” the band’s manager Jon Turner told MusicWeek.com. “The general international feel is of excitement and Spiralling is a favourite track of the US company.” Apparently, it’s a hit with the British company as well, as Spiralling has already entered the Top 40 chart following it’s debut on BBC Radio 1 last week.
But was Spiralling the correct third-album intro for long-time listeners of Keane, or simply a way for the studio to enter an aggressive pop market? While the track maintains the band’s course of deep meaning hidden in ironic and surreal tempo and melody, Spiralling presents a pop-like element usually not found in Keane tracks.
“This song is TOTALLY different from any of (their) previous recordings,” says a listener comment left by Nina on Keane’s website. “Yet we can still find some lingering elements which remind us its Keane.”
One thing that is definitely different about this track is the revelation of a slight political side to Keane. “Did you want to be famous? Did you want to be the President? Did you want to start a war?” lead singer Tom Chaplin questions in the bridge of the song, an almost obvious shot to the current American Presidential administration. Not quite as politically heavy as Coldplay’s anti-war song Violet Hill, which was released earlier this year along, but the elements are still there.
Nonetheless, Keane fans are eager and anxious for the band’s newest album. While the band continues to push their limits of creativity and success, “we remained anchored,” says Nina on their website.
In my past life, I was a tree or something. If not a tree, something that grew old and didn't move very much. I'm pretty convinced of this.