Strangeland Review

Keane has scored a few hits in the past decade, including “Is It Any Wonder” and “Somewhere Only We Know”. It seems like this synth-filled poppy album is trying to score another one, but unfortunately it seems to fail.

Sounding like it’s straight out of a way over-euphoric dream, “Strangeland” doesn’t pack a very hard punch. “I feel like I just don’t know you anymore/I’ve been wrong and I’ve been there too many times,” singer Tom Chaplin croons on the track entitled “Disconnected”, the most catchy song on the album, over a driven, dreamy synth-drenched tune.

The high point of this album is the closing track, “Sea Fog,” a beautiful piano ballad, with Chaplin singing softly, “I missed my turn/In the dark I hear your voice.” Its haunting backing vocals swirl around you mysteriously as you learn of the heartbreak of Chaplin.

It just seems that Chaplin is trying too hard on this album. It sounds more forced than Mitt Romney in the primaries (ba-dum-tsss). I’m hoping that next time Chaplin will turn it around and put out a better quality album.

Key Tracks: Sea Fog, Disconnected, Watch How You Go

MB’s Rating: 2.3/5