Continuing my look at 2004, first by counting down my own top ten albums of that year.
#9 – Keane – Hopes and Fears
The best debut albums are cooked up over time, assembling the best material from a young band’s formative years into a definitive opening statement.
Such was the case with Keane’s Hopes and Fears. The English alt-rock band formed in 1997 and played live shows in London for years, growing in popularity and eventually benefitting from a bidding war among major labels eager to sign them. They joined Island Records in 2003 and began working on this record, with many of its best tracks already in hand.
The result is a sweeping, hook-heavy collection of piano pop as good as anything released by soundalike bands Coldplay and Travis. Tom Chaplin’s yearning vocals are a perfect complement to songwriter/keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley’s melodies.
Hopes and Fears was a chart-topper in the UK, selling millions of copies and showing up on lists of the best British albums of its decade.
This is the last time
That I will say these words
I remember the first time
The first of many lies
Sweep it into the corner
Or hide it under the bed
Say these things, they go away
But they never do
[Pre-Chorus]
Something I wasn’t sure of
But I was in the middle of
Something I forget now
But I’ve seen too little of
[Chorus]
The last time
You fall on me for anything you like
Your one last line
You fall on me for anything you like
And years make everything alright
You fall on me for anything you like
And I, no, I don’t mind
[Verse 2]
This is the last time
That I will show my face
One last tender lie and
Then I’m out of this place
Tread it into the carpet
Or hide it under the stairs
You say that some things never die
Well, I tried and I tried
[Pre-Chorus]
Something I wasn’t sure of
But I was in the middle of
Something I forget now
But I’ve seen too little of
[Chorus]
The last time
You fall on me for anything you like
Your one last line
You fall on me for anything you like
And years make everything alright
You fall on me for anything you like
And I, no, I don’t mind
[Chorus]
The last time
You fall on me for anything you like
Your one last line
You fall on me for anything you like
And years make everything alright
You fall on me for anything you like
And I, no, I don’t mind
Meet Me In Montauk 
They do have a nice sound, but the real question is have they ever had a number one hit?🤪
Thanks for reminding me about KEANE. I remember buying and playing this CD a lot when it first came out…