The Cold Cut

Keane- Spiralling (Official HQ Download)

Ok. Wow. I really wasn't expecting anything from Keane to ever surprise the collective internet communities. However, it appears they have really shocked a selection of bloggers who previously despised their music. Some people have been converted.

I like Keane. There, I said it. Some might say they're a tad, well, predictable, but that's not hard to overcome. The only hang-up I have is with their live performances- namely, the use of pre-recorded sounds in the background which are cued by a technician. See, that's not strictly live, unless the technician is on stage. And yet, I get the feeling that this is about to change. Other than that small hiccup, they're fine in my books.

Hot on the heels of 'Crawl', Keane have offered up an mp-free entitled 'Spiralling'. It's an interesting one, certainly different to anything else they've offered up, with a lighter, poppier tone.

I'm not an authority on this, but I can definitely detect guitar and bass in the mix... Can anyone clarify this? This might explain Jesse Quin's (a touring bass player) involvement in the project- the message board queried this months ago when Keane featured a photo with four members, which was quickly taken down. Further to this, Tom Chaplin and Tim Rice-Oxley have also both gone on record as saying that they picked up the guitar during the sessions. And whereas on their previous albums (see 'Is It Any Wonder?') we had a keyboard that was made to sound like a guitar, this new move is a distinct improvement. Their sound is fuller, with serious hints of David Bowie and Talking Heads thrown in the mixer.

'Spiralling' is definite progress. A little on the cheesy side (that spoken interlude is a little bit much for most people), this song is still a sign that Keane weren't content producing another album that sounds vaguely similar to 'Hopes And Fears'.

This song comes ahead of the release of their upcoming 3rd album- 'Perfect Symmetry'- out October 13th. The official first single is 'Lovers Are Losing', to be released on September 29th. An interview which explores the details of the new album can be found here.

It has happened to all of us: you turn on the radio or MTV and that song is playing. Yes, that one: the one that has been the bane of your life for the last month, that song that penetrates your conscience due to the fact that it is radio-friendly and annoyingly memorable. Recent examples include Mika's Grace Kelly and Nickelback's How You Remind Me, but the latest one and the subject matter of this post is a band called Air Traffic. Their name might not be familiar to you, but you would have to be removed from society in order to not hear their hit single "Shooting Star", a song which at first seems blissfully innocent with its lovely piano and high vocals. After a while, though, it becomes unforgettable: I know the words to this song even though the only time I've heard it is through the wall separating me and my next-door neighbour at school!

Shooting Star: The Recorded Version

The thing is, Air Traffic are actually a really good band: they've just released debut album Fractured Life to generally positive reviews: initially comparisons were made between Air Traffic and the likes of Keane and Captain due to their music being piano driven... after listening to a few tracks, I can say this is definitely not the case. Whereas bands like Keane and Captain produce music that whilst being quaint isn't actually that good, Air Traffic produce songs like Shooting Star that are actually quite heavy, despite featuring piano. To top this off, most of the tracks on their album aren't half bad- this is probably due to the fact that the band are all in all very musically competent (see the comparative videos below of live and recorded performances of Shooting Star). Their singles- Just Abuse Me and Never Even Told Me Her Name- are two of the best piano driven pop-romp songs we've heard in a while: head over to hypem to hear them

I think it would be right for me to let you make up your own mind about this band: head over to the hype machine to hear some tracks; there are also two Youtube videos below. Please comment on your feelings about this band: I would like to know the readers of this blog think about my posts!

Shooting Star: The Live Version

You can buy their new album, Fractured Life, here