Like them or loathe them, Keane have enjoyed a highly productive period since debut album Hopes And Fears hit our shelves in 2004. They’ve shipped over ten million units on the back of the ‘indie-lite’, formulaic melodies of Tim Rice-Oxley, and Tom Chaplin’s emotive tones.
On their new EP Night Train, it’s instantly apparent that the breezy positivity we associate with much of their output has been temporarily sidelined. Instrumental intro ‘House Lights’ is dark and foreboding and kicks straight into ‘Back In Time’, which feels like a muted Muse cast-off, all theatrical vocals and dramatic synths. Somalian rapper K’naan guests on a number of tracks including ‘Stop For A Minute’ and unfortunately, I wish they’d done just that. It’s a particularly lifeless brand of ‘uplifting’ schlock, with a cut and paste middle rap section. Conversely, on Amadou & Mariam’s Welcome To Mali album, K’naan’s slick rhymes dovetail beautifully.
Marginally better is ‘Ishin Denshin’ (= ‘You’ve Got To Help Yourself’), yet another collaboration, this time with Japanese MC Tigarah. It begins promisingly but soon descends into a mindless, repeat chorus finale, which grates to say the least. The band admitted that the entire record came together on the road and apparently wasn’t an overly taxing experience. I imagine it wasn’t. Lightweight and utterly forgettable.