Keane just released their first album in six years.
As someone who has loved this band since elementary school, I had very high expectations.
As a kid, I listened to their album "Hopes and Fears" because my sister had played a few songs from it. For years after, I had almost completely forgotten the band existed.
Then in 2013, I rediscovered their music and fell in love. Their music resonated with me in a way very few bands ever have. Every time I listened to them, I couldn't help but feel swallowed up by the music. I could just close my eyes, put my earbuds in, and be transported to another world.
A few months later, they broke up.
And in the six years since, I have held onto the hope that they would get back together again.
Lucky for me and thousands of other fans around the world, the band announced their reunion earlier this year.
Having such high expectations for an album can be almost scary. You don't want to pin your hopes on one thing so much because you'll only be that much more disappointed.
However, I didn't have to worry too much because "Cause and Effect" definitely delivered.
One of Keane's best qualities is how unique and versatile they are. Every album they've released has been distinctly different from the last, but they always maintain the "sound" that they are known and loved for.
"Cause and Effect" keeps on with this pattern. It is different from the rest in both theme and style, with many of the songs being more upbeat and even reminiscent of the 1980s.
But there is also that common thread of (for lack of a better term) Keane-ness.
Songs like "You're Not Home" and "Thread" are good examples of this, as they really go crazy with the instrumentation, taking the listener to another world. That otherworldliness has always been a common quality among Keane's music, especially in their albums "Under the Iron Sea" and "Perfect Symmetry."
Another thing about the album that deserves recognition is the fact that a lot of the songs are not love songs.
Now don't get me wrong, I love a good love song. But the music world is so over-saturated with them that seeing an album with a lot of songs about other topics is really refreshing.
Band member and songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley really digs deep with the songs, putting on display his own internal struggles with mental health and drug abuse with songs like "The Way I Feel" and "Stupid Things."
Is it their best album yet? It's hard to tell. But it is certainly a triumph.
It's unique and honest — two things we really need in today's music landscape.
After six years away from us, Keane really brought us something special and I can't wait to see what more they have in store.
