Before you pick up a copy of Perfect Symmetry, you should be warned that the album will showcase a side of Keane you probably never thought possible.

Tom Chaplin and gang have abandoned their penchant for gloomy piano-driven anthems about love, loss and yearning for a good ol’ (literally) bold 1980’s synthesiser-heavy sound.

The new Keane even features, surprise, surprise – the added use of electric guitars.

A journey far from perfect

Released last month, Perfect Symmetry represents the British band’s third studio effort since their 2004 debut.

In their 4 years so far,  Keane has certainly come a long way between battling critics about their sound and coping with lead singer Chaplin’s constant drug rehabilitation problems. Fortunately, Chaplin finally got cleaned up, and Keane headed to Berlin on a night train ride to seek inspiration for their new album.

But perhaps seeking ideas on the German railway wasn’t that inspired an idea because Perfect Symmetry crudely resembles something of a sonic trainwreck.

Like getting “Rick-Rolled”

While there are certainly a few well-crafted tracks, much of the album sounds too formulaic and uninteresting.

The lads clearly aspired to move away from their old sound but failed to muster enough, if any, fresh and exciting material.

The track “You Don’t See Me” is an example of this. The band sounds tired and the song lacks the edge and direction to move listeners. In the end, it winds up sounding like a bland filler track left in just to make the numbers on the album.

The band’s elaborate use of synthesisers circa 1980 throughout the album to expand their sonic palette also at times borders along sounding overtly cheesy (“Black Burning Heart“). The inclusion of hand-claps, and saxophones that sound like they were ripped off from an 8-bit video game soundtrack doesn’t help either.

Even lyrically, the band has opted for cliche verses (“Give me your hand/Cut the skin, let me in/The molecules of us/Bleeding into one again”) that would surely have no problems making its way into a Rick Astley song.

Perhaps taking a listen to Perfect Symmetry is a little like getting Rick Rolled – a fun prank that can get frustrating if it happens one too many times.

The upside

However not all is lost on Keane’s third studio outing. There are a handful of bright sparks where the trio’s pop sensabilities pull through and remind listeners why they are still one of Britain’s biggest acts in recent years.

The track “You Haven’t Told Me Anything“, manages a fine and tasteful balance between the new 80’s synthesiser sound and contemporary pop, while giving it just enough edge to make it relevant to young listeners.

Other notable tracks include “The Lovers Are Losing” and “Perfect Symmetry“. However both tracks seem to be drawn more from the sound of their previous albums than the current direction of things. Take a listen to the former, and you might just mistake it as a B-side to the single “Crystal Ball” from the band’s previous sophomore album.

In a nutshell

Keane certainly didn’t break new ground with the release of Perfect Symmetry. While it might please the casual listener, you would be hard-pressed to find a critical listener or fan who isn’t dismayed at the album’s lack of depth and innovative content.

Then again, Keane doesn’t claim to be an art rock group like Radiohead and by that standard, Perfect Symmetry isn’t too terribly far off from being a decent pop rock album.

For their retro album, this UrbanWire writer gives it a rating of 3 out of 5.

Now let’s just hope that Keane doesn’t look further back in time and start mimicking Sgt. Pepper for their next album.

Track Listing

01. Spiralling

02. The Lovers Are Losing (Sample)

03. Better Than This

04. You Haven’t Told Me Anything (Sample)

05. Perfect Symmetry (Sample)

06. You Don’t See Me (Sample)

07. Again And Again

08. Playing Along

09. Pretend That You’re Alone

10. Black Burning Heart (Sample)

11. Love Is The End