SAD BASTARD MUSIC IS THE NEW SENTI
If you happen to receive a copy of Keane’s new album from your favorite aunt or parish priest, immediately file it under the genre ‘sad bastard music.’ There are times when you want to hear a plaintive honesty that comes from a far deeper wellspring than your usual ghetto palace crib and it would be good to keep this CD where it’s easy to find. There is such a thing as ‘too much honesty’ and methinks this album suffers from it.
It takes a certain mood to be able to listen to this album straight. Say your girlfriend of six years leaves you for your rich dad or your best friend runs off with your mother. Times when you need a Juicy. This is the type of stuff you can be sure Nick Lachey doesn’t want to hear when he reminisces about Jessica or the current state of his career. If you’re depressed and have a bottle of Valium in the medicine cabinet, stay away from this CD. Bad things might happen.
If you can handle a bit of melancholy, however, then Under the Iron Sea might just be for you. The title itself lends a hint as to what you’ll be feeling when you listen to songs like Atlantic. Comparisons to Radiohead, Coldplay, even U2 are unavoidable as it seems lead vocalist Tom Chaplin insists on channeling Thom Yorke, Bono and Chris Martin sans Gwyneth Paltrow. Perhaps the most upbeat this album gets is on Is It Any Wonder, its first single. But, even that song speaks of unspeakable misery, followed closely by Leaving So Soon, a driving song that speaks of loss. Bonus points for being able to use the word ‘prosaic’ in a pop song. Nothing In My Way is a lovely tune about dishonesty, and should be released as a single by the time you read this, in case you’re still breathing. Something enjoyable was Put It Behind You, which sounds like something by That Petrol Emotion. It ends on a somber note, however, with a heavy Vangelis-like synth dirge that drones on for almost three minutes.
Overall, Under the Iron Sea is a worthy effort if you dig the material. The songs are, for the most part, deftly crafted, melodic and strangely appealing, the way looking downcast and disinterested at an emo concert is appealing. If album sales are any indication, then a lot of blokes can take the melancholy. Maybe sad bastard music is the new senti.
Oh, if you do decide to purchase Under the Iron Sea, make sure you get an original copy. On the inlay card art is a quirky and wonderful illustration by Finnish-British artist Sanna Annuka Smith. Flip that over for complete lyrics and you’ll be able to whine along with the band.
