Under the Iron Sea is Perfect Follow-up for UK Trio Keane

Under the Iron Sea, the sophomore album from Britain's rock sensation Keane, is a wonderful blend of exotic musical tones and melodic phrases, establishing it as an adequate sequel to their smash hit album Hopes & Fears.

The first single, titled "Is It Any Wonder?" was written primarily by lead singer Tom Chaplin and, according to him, is the "most rock" song they've ever recorded. Its upbeat tempo and blaring guitar-like sounds were the deciding factors in using it as the single.

The theme of the song is self-doubt and questions about the current war in Iraq. Chaplin says in a free podcast available on iTunes that Britain's decision to participate in the war angers many. "I think a lot of people of our generation found it very unsettling," he said.

Chaplin insists that the song is not an attempt to politically charge Keane's listeners, but just personal questions from the members of the band. The band decided to go with a sort of vintage style on the track and the piano sounds as far away from a piano as possible. It ends up sounding more like a Jimi Hendrix riff rather than a Beatles jam.

Tim Rice-Oxley (keyboard) and Richard Hughes (drums) are at it again in Iron Sea, providing stick-in-your-head beats and flowing melodies to lyrics that tend to pierce the inner-soul of the listener.

There's always a risk with Keane to have countless songs sound the same due to the distinct voice of Chaplin and style of Rice-Oxley. But this album does a fantastic job of mixing tracks up in order to the give the whole picture of the band's existence.

During the recording of the album, the band almost broke up, citing intense disagreements over life and the direction they were going. Thus, a majority of the songs are deep, emotional pieces that tell dark stories. This is the main difference between Iron Sea and Hopes & Fears.