Gig review: Keane, Glasgow Academy

EMPLOYING their usual blend of mild manners and stirring radio-friendly anthems, Keane have hit the top of the album chart for the fifth consecutive occasion with their latest MOR offering, Strangeland.

Only The Beatles have surpassed this tally, yet it’s hard to imagine anyone writing home about Keane’s music in decades to come.

On the other hand, step right up for the opportunity to indulge in a cleansing, uplifting singalong to some well-crafted, resonant piano pop. Moments after leading the masses in a rosy-cheeked rendition of Everything’s Changing, frontman Tom Chaplin contradicted his own lyric: apparently “it never changes” round here.

He was referring to the warmth of the crowd reaction, but he could just as easily have been describing his band’s musical formula.

One epic, chiming intro sounded very much like the next.

Every so often, if they were feeling particularly devil-may-care, they tinkered slightly with the recipe, although the consciously cheesy 80s synth sound, buoyant salvo of “oohs” and semi-rapped interlude of Spiralling provided the counter-argument for remaining in their comfort zone, from where they demonstrated that they have never bettered two of their earliest songs, Somewhere Only We Know and Bedshaped, for emotional impact.

Following these back-to-back highlights, there was nowhere else to go, except perhaps to the merchandise stall to buy a souvenir apron.

Rating: ***