One of my favourite albums... And why

Oooh, it's been a while... Life has been hectic, so I've been going back to my old favourites. This one sparked long term, still enduring, fanatacism in me, as it's a beautiful record and appeared at a very confusing time for me, so it was a bit of a lifeline to be honest. So here it is...

Keane - Under The Iron Sea

This album has it all, beautiful music, lyrics that instantly evoke stories and emotions in you, a classically wonderful voice and an uplifting quality despite the initialy melancholy. I thought the best way to look at it would be by mentioning some of the tracks and why I love them:

Atlantic – This is one of the most beautifully ethereal songs I have ever heard. The longing in the words is haunting, and expresses a human need I can really identify with, a desire to never be truly alone.

Is It Any Wonder? – This has got to be the best piano riff ever! This song is so incredible live, and unfortunately because of this it has caused minor injuries to audience members around me O:) again the lyrics are really powerful. The disillusionment it conveys helped my 16-year-old self through my own passage from childhood into reality. Kind of like a shock absorber!

Nothing In My Way – when I found out that Tim Rice-Oxley essentially stole the rhythm for this song from Eminem, it proved to be a very entertaining exercise to play the tracks simultaneously. Me being me, give me Keane any day, but then in my view Tom Chaplin's voice is truly unsurpassed.

A Bad Dream – I used to play this song non-stop. It really lifts you to a new level, you feel like you are in ‘the clouds above’, and removed from everything.

The Iron Sea – It’s amazing to find an instrumental nowadays with such fierce passion and anger behind it. You can hear the emotion driving the piano.

Crystal Ball – another amazing live track to jump to, with incredible lyrics, and wonderful vocal acrobatics. I LOVE the piano solo at the end.

The Frog Prince – The lyrics are magical. Literally and figuratively. Fairytales never grow old, and the imagery is beautiful, and betrayed. I like to sing it to myself :)

The songs are all fantastic in their own right, but it was the intensity with which they were played live that really converted me into an outright Keane fan. They're an easy target for people who need a band to badmouth, but I know for a fact that anyone who says they're not worth paying attention to have never seen them live.

Them Crooked Vultures

I bought the Them Crooked Vultures album this morning, and now the electric guitar is stroking my skin in that delicious way that only Jack White has managed to do before... wow... I haven't even got a grasp on the words yet, but that can only enhance it the experience I'm sure, considering Dave Grohl was part of the creative process.
So far this album has been a fantastic series of sizzling riffs, thumping chords and general rock magic. As you can tell, I'm enjoying it...