Future Nostalgia - Keane's "Hopes and Fears"

October 30, 2021

Keane reminds me of memories that never occurred. That’s the power of their music. It’s familiar and straightforward; the lyrics are nostalgic. Wrap this in a package with a pretty, melodic bow, and you have “Hopes and Fears,” Keane’s chart-topping debut. Millions of different people connected with it.

Since I first heard Keane’s “Hopes and Fears,” it has been one of my three or four comfort albums. It’s also become one of my few "perfect" albums: each song brings joy to me when it plays during a playlist or library shuffle. At last tally, it’s in a tier with seven other albums.

While the piano-driven sound helps my pianist’s soul enjoy the album, it is the lyrics that bring me back every time. There is quiet, simple wisdom in lines like: “And years make everything all right.” The small voice that usually says those things to you can be drowned out. Throw on Hopes and Fears: For 45 minutes, life will seem simple.

There are, however, no promises of ease in life in Keane’s music. Their wisdom stems from painful life experience. Life may be simple; it’s never easy. “Can’t Stop Now” has been on repeat in my car, my earbuds, and my head for months now. Leaving the people you love is not easy, but it is straightforward: “Though, I know I said I’d wait around ‘til you need me / I have to go / I hate to let you down / But I can’t stop now.”

Keane look ahead the same way they look behind them: a tinge of nostalgia, intense emotions, and simplicity. Tim Rice-Oxley sings: “I’m getting old and I need something to rely on,” in their massive single “Somewhere Only We Know.” Me too, Tim. Thanks to you and Tom Chaplin and Richard Hughes, I and millions of other people can rely on “Hopes and Fears” to comfort, calm, and center ourselves.

Highlights:

• “Bend & Break:” This is classic Keane: Lyrics that are thoughtful and slightly sad, and vague enough for the listener to insert themselves; a keyboard alone provides interesting sounds and beautiful melodies; the drums drive the song forward, and the vocals soar and emote in ways few other pop rock bands do.

• “Can’t Stop Now:” An effectively simple drum intro demonstrates how important the unassuming driving force Richard Hughes is. “I’m lonely, and I’m too tired to talk tonight” is one of the most cathartic lines I’ve ever sung.

• “Bedshaped:” A proper way to end such an introspective album. Originally this was the B-side to “Everybody’s Changing,” and rarely has a single had a more perfect B-side. People go and people change, but it doesn’t always have to be sad.