As its foreboding name might suggest, Under The Iron Sea finds Sussex balladeers Keane setting sail for somewhat darker waters. Prompted by their involvement in Live8 and Make Poverty History, continuing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, and personal strife that saw the band’s friendship stretched to breaking point, tracks like "Is It Any Wonder?" and "A Bad Dream" find choirboy-voiced vocalist Tom Chaplin giving voice to a generation distrustful of its leaders, upset by war and discord, but unsure of all the answers. Songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley matches this bleaker spirit with a darker sound, swapping his trademarked piano for synthesiser that, on mid-album instrumental interlude "The Iron Sea", achieves a cold experimentalism reminiscent of Brian Eno. Fans of the inclusive balladry showcased on Keane’s debut album, 2004’s Hopes And Fears, will not be disappointed, however. "Crystal Ball" is the band’s finest moment to date, a soaring number with an optimistic hook ("Crystal ball/Save us all/Tell me life is beautiful") that’s a immediately catchy and characteristically unshakable, while the closing "The Frog Prince" revives fairytale’s ability to satirize, amid a backdrop of flourishing piano and glittering effects.
Track listing:
01. "Atlantic" – 4:13
02. "Is It Any Wonder?" – 3:06
03. "Nothing in My Way" – 4:00
04. "Leaving So Soon?" – 3:59
05. "A Bad Dream" – 5:06
06. "Hamburg Song" – 4:37
07. "Put It Behind You" - 3:36
08. "The Iron Sea" – 2:57
09. "Crystal Ball" – 3:53
10. "Try Again" – 4:27
11. "Broken Toy" – 6:07
12. "The Frog Prince" – 4:22
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