Teen Ink

Five seconds into Keane’s third album, you realize this isn’t the same band that takes credit for quiet contemporary singles like “Somewhere Only We Know” and “Is It Any Wonder?” which became popular on FM mix stations.

“Perfect Symmetry” catapults British piano-rock band Keane from the drab pop genre into the dazzling, increasingly hip indie crowd. Their new sound is more like The Killers than the pre-“Viva La Vida” Coldplay vibe of their first two albums, “Hopes and Fears” and “Under the Iron Sea.”

Tom Chaplin still sings about the same deep, sensitive topics as in previous albums, but with a more hopeful, positive point of view. “Perfect Symmetry” makes you want to get up and dance rather than sit around and feel sorry for yourself. “Pretend That You’re Alone” begins as a fun yet modest beat, then turns into a disco phenomenon. “Better Than This” is bouncy, synthesized, quirky, and differs most from Keane’s previous work.

“Perfect Symmetry” is a genuinely fun, creative album, yet still hangs on to Keane’s powerful, heart-wrenching roots.