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.

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