On October 13th, Keane released their third studio album, Perfect Symmetry.  I’ve been anxiously awaiting this release for some time, as Keane were one of those bands I lucked into and fell in love with immediately.  Something about Tom Chaplin’s vocals just grabbed my attention, combined with the uniqueness of the band’s lack of guitar sounds.  Their lyrics were simple and honest, at times joyful and at times gut-wrenching.  Most music lovers find special places in their hearts for music that speaks to them on a personal level at any given time, and Keane is one of those bands for me.

But Keane managed to do something that eludes many bands: grow.  When you are defined by such a particular sound, it’s difficult to evolve, because either your sound has nowhere to grow, or if you do experiment you fear revolt from the very fans who made you popular.  Keane has managed to overcome this.

You can plainly see the musical direction the band was taking when Under The Iron Sea was released, adding more electronic production and varied instrumentation while still keeping the piano, drum, and bass foundation.  Now, with Perfect Symmetry, they’ve added a distinctly 80s new-wave vibe to that foundation, and the results are engaging and at times just plain fun.

The quirky rhythms and upbeat melodies to these songs, such as “Again and Again,” make the bitterness of the lyrics go down almost too easily.  It’s a devastatingly effective juxtaposition.  You also perhaps see a bit of self-examination in “Perfect Symmetry,” — Tom has faced down his share of demons before this album was released.   Even the first single, “Spiralling,” with its catchy, head-bobbing sound is laced with bitterness and disillusion.  Those theme have been hallmarks of Keane’s lyrics, and it’s another testament to Keane’s ability to evolve their sound while still being true to themselves.

This album was well worth the wait.  Keane are 3-for-3 with their album releases, but I think Perfect Symmetry is their best album yet.  They take the 80s influenced sound and give it depth and sophistication that certainly was missing from the time, and is even lacking in many of the artists who are resurrecting it for their own use today.

For those who may need a bit more persuasion, I give you the video for “Spiralling.”

Something terrible happened recently to a group of guys very dear to my heart.  As a picture is worth a thousand words, let me give you the short version:

Kill Hannah Bus Fire Video

While speeding along on a lovely fall Swiss morning, en route to gay Paree for the next show of the Hope for the Hopeless Tour, something went terribly wrong.  Minutes later, everyone on the double-decker tour bus was on the side of the road, neither fully dressed nor awake, watching all their personal possessions go down in flames.  Anyone who has followed the fortunes of Kill Hannah for any amount of time will have one of two reactions:  Well, it’s about par for the course… or, Why, on top of everything else they’ve had to go through, now this?

Why, indeed?  It’s only natural to ask that question when something goes wrong.  Why me, why them, why now?

I’ve come to believe there is no answer to that question.  Some things just are–without reason–and tragedy is one of them.  Nobody points the fickle finger of fate at you and declares it time to pay your dues.  I think life is one cascading domino effect after another, with causes and effects that at any one particular moment are impossible to discern.  Sure, the things that go wrong have very specific reasons and causes, though they may have nothing to do with us individually.  There is a definite cause of Kill Hannah’s bus fire.  Did they have anything to do with it personally?  Likely not.  Even if so, the tragic events aren’t a referendum on their qualities as people, the way they live their lives, their choice of tour bus company, etc.

Nobody ever deserves tragedy.  Nobody.  Can people bring tragic events upon themselves?  Of course.  Can those tragic consequences sometimes give others a sense of gratification when it feels like poetic justice for wrongs committed?  Of course.  But in the end, events themselves are just that: events.  They bear no quality of “right” or “wrong,” “deserved” or “undeserved.”  They just are.

Toni Morrison said, “The purpose of evil is to overcome it.”  The way a person reacts when tragedy befalls them speaks far more to their character than the nature of the tragedy itself.  Nobody can escape bad things.  However, not everyone can learn from those things and move past them a changed and better person.  There, if anything, is the purpose of suffering through tragedy.

Thankfully, the boys in Kill Hannah (along with the other bands and people on the bus) escaped the fire unscathed.  You can check out Kill Hannah’s myspace profile to see the damage to the bus, and see them standing stocking-footed and dazed while the bus burns, then sifting through what’s left to try to salvage what they can.  It takes a certain amount of bravery to put your vulnerability and shock out there for the world to share with you, and the fact that the guys have tried to laugh about this as best they can, then get back on the road to finish their tour as soon as possible speaks volumes about them.  They are hardworking, earnest, creative, driven men who are the epitome of Nietzsche’s declaration, “That which does not kill me, makes me stronger.”