Keane’s Hopes and Fears hit #1 in UK

Hopes and Fears Keane

Released: May 10, 2004 Charted: May 16, 2004 Peak: 45 US, 15 UK, 42 AU Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 2.87 UK, 12.2 world (includes US and UK) Genre: alternative rock/Britpop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Somewhere Only We Know (1/16/04, 50 US, 32 RR, 37 AC, 11 A40, 2 AA, 32 MR, 3 UK) This Is the Last Time (11/22/04, 16 UK) Bend and Break (7/25/05, 20 AA) We Might As Well Be Strangers Everybody’s Changing (5/4/04, 33 A40, 6 AA, 4 UK) Your Eyes Open She Has No Time Can’t Stop Now Sunshine Untitled 1 Bedshaped (8/16/04, 10 UK) Total Running Time: 50:37

Rating: 3.827 out of 5.00 (average of 33 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “The English music press can never let anyone be. They’re always quick to hail the next big thing and, in this case, the next big Coldplay is Kean.” AMG The band “haven’t positioned themselves to be kings of anything, let alone the next Coldplay…Sure, Coldplay’s biggest hit to date, ‘Clocks,’ included only pianos, and they released the Safety EP on Fierce Panda, which is also Keane’s label, but those are the only things Keane have in common with Coldplay.” AMG “Perhaps it’s the overall majestic presentation of the band’s debut album, Hopes and Fears, that does it. That and the fact that the Sussex trio doesn’t rely on a formula of lilting melodies and feverish guitars to carry the weight of the album.” AMG “Alongside their beautiful, emotive dalliance of instrumentation is one thing that’ll separate Keane from all the rest, and that’s drive. The band's heartfelt ambition on Hopes and Fears is right there. It’s impossible not to reach for it, really. Lead vocalist Tom Chaplin's rich vocals are as vibrant as any choir, and songs such as This Is the Last Time, Bend and Break, and Can't Stop Now reflect Keane’s more savory, dramatic moments. Confidence bursts throughout, and for a band that has been around seven years and has never released a studio full-length album until now, achieving nearly epic-like status is quite impressive.” AMG “Keane obviously have the songs and they have a strong voice leading the front; however, Tim Rice-Oxley (piano/keyboards/bass) and Richard Hughes (drums) allow Hopes and Fears to come alive with glamour and without the sheen of slick studio production. Even slow build-up tracks like Bedshaped and We Might as Well Be Strangers are just as passionate, if not more so, than some of the bigger numbers on the album.” AMG “Some might find Keane’s debut a bit stagy, or too theatrical at first, but that’s okay. Listening to Somewhere Only We Know alone a few times is more than enough to convince you that Keane stand next to Coldplay, challenging them, and it’s a respectable match at that.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Keane AMG All Music Guide review by MacKenzie Wilson WK Wikipedia First posted 3/29/2008; last updated 5/3/2022.