In many ways, the enduring success of UK four-piece Keane is a curious phenomenon. Formed in 1995, the quartet of four rather ordinary-looking white lads from East Sussex rose to rock prominence with their debut album, 2004's Hopes And Fears. Thanks to the strength of radio-friendly singles like Somewhere Only We Know and Everybody's Changing, they were able to contend with a lot of their rock/indie contemporaries who were also just starting out then -- The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, The Futureheads, Razorlight and The Libertines. While some of those bands have lost their steam or even vanished in the aftermath of the indie-rock heyday, it seems that Keane are still alive and well despite the six-year hiatus following 2013's hits compilation, The Best Of Keane.
As a matter of fact, they're so alive that they're gearing up for a proper full-length release later this year. Before that happens, though, we're being treated to an amuse-bouche in the form of extended player Retroactive EP1 to tide us over. According to frontman Tom Chaplin, the four-track collection features the band's "favourite archived live performances, older demos and random treasures" (we're guessing there'll be an EP2, and so on and so forth?). For this particular set, this translates into a few of the most obvious suspects -- Somewhere Only We Know, Bedshaped and Silenced By The Night -- and a not-so-obvious late-career outlier -- Spiralling.
First up is a live version of Somewhere Only We Know. Recorded as part of the Sprint Music Series, the track has aged like a fine wine and hits especially hard when Chaplin sings, "Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?/ I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on." His strained voice adds to the overall exasperation. Taken from 2013's Live At The Roundhouse session, the acoustic treatment of Bedshaped proves that they're truly in their element when it comes to indie-rock balladry.
The EP's second half represents the more daring Keane, so naturally we get a demo version of Spiralling before it received a studio sheen and ended up on their third studio LP, Perfect Symmetry. Completing the circle is another acoustic offering Silenced By The Night, lifted from their Sea Fog Acoustic Session. "We were silenced by the night/ But you and I, we're gonna rise again/ Divided from the light/ I wanna love the way we used to then," goes the lachrymose chorus worthy of a lighter-in-the-air moment at a stadium.
The verdict: They might be called "corny Coldplay copycats", but these guys excel at what they do. Let's just hope, though, that EP2 will be a little more unpredictable.
THE PLAYLIST
Southern Boys (Thai Rockabilly) / Songkhla Sweet Home
In a similar fashion to home-grown blues quintet Charblues, Bird Sound's Southern Boys (Thai Rockabilly) take their cue from the vintage rock'n'roll sound and spice it up with a Thai flavour. Founded in 2011, the trio of Bay, Bom and Tong have cranked out a sizeable collection of rockabilly jams, ranging from the Elvis Presley-inspired Don't Care to the endearing ballad Mon Rak Rock'n'Roll. With new single Songkhla Sweet Home, the threesome pay homage to their hometown and keep true to their roots. "Living in the city, chasing my dreams/ Won't forget a sarong, still eating southern fish curry," singer Bay croons in his southern accent over a rollicking interplay of guitar, drums and double bass. Definitely ones to check out if you haven't already.
Elton John, Taron Egerton / (I'm Gonna) Love Me Again
Unlike the majority of the tunes featured on Rocketman: Music From The Motion Picture, (I'm Gonna) Love Me Again is the only track that has the actual Sir Elton lending his vocals to proceedings. "Oh, the joke was never hard to tell/ Threw my fair change in the wishing well/ The dream alone is always in your hands/ If that don't fill the boy and build the man," John begins in the opening verse before the film's star Taron Egerton joins in on the second verse. "Unbound by any ties that break or bend/ I'm free, and don't you know… I'm gonna love me again," the pair duet over exuberant Motown-inspired melodies. It's a jaunty, uplifting number in the same vein as his 1976 classic Don't Go Breaking My Heart, so be prepared to boogie.
Two Door Cinema Club / Dirty Air
The TDCC boys have been diligently rolling out tracks from their forthcoming fourth album, False Alarm, since March. Keeping the momentum going, they've unveiled the follow-up to Talk and Satellite. The third single, Dirty Air, finds the Northern Irish indie-rockers at their most alt-rock-oriented, flirting heavily with late 80s/early 90s disco/new-wave influences. "Give me the vine/ And I'll give you the wine/ Bring anything that will burn/ And you'll get fire in return," singer Alex Trimble offers in the surging pre-chorus that recalls some of The Killers' best tracks. This is their most successful attempt at breaking out of the indie mould yet.
Röyksopp / Church (Lost Tapes)
So far Röyksopp's non-album project Lost Tapes has proven just as exciting as any new album from the Norwegian duo. However, the latest release from the project, Church, will definitely appeal to those who prefer a more straightforward club banger. Clocking in at almost eight minutes, the instrumental number starts off with a lush rippling synth loop. Once the four-to-the-floor drumbeat hits, it properly kicks off, creating a chain of events that includes Röyksopp's trademark atmospherics. Church goes a little harder than its Lost Tapes predecessors, so if you're after that good old dance floor euphoria, go ahead and press play.
Daboyway / Wan Arai
After teaming up with eclectic collaborators from Thai-Trinidadian singer Sunaree to molam songstress Angkanag Koonchai, Daboyway is left to his own devices on Wan Arai (What Day Is It?). Here, the hip-hop maverick details at great length how he's hustling non-stop in pursuit of greatness. That's all well and good -- more power to him! Musically though, the song suffers from the same predicament that plagues rap music everywhere, which is the fact that there's just very little room for innovation (except for maybe auto-tuned vocals, if you could even call that innovation).
