You a CSI fan? No, me neither. But for the millions who are, the theme tune will be familiar. It was written by Grammy Award winning John M Keane, formerly one half of the Keane Brothers, a duo who enjoyed considerably more than fifteen minutes in the late seventies.
This mainly piano driven solo album confirms Keane to be a gifted writer of melodies and lyrics.
Reminiscent of Third Matinee's
'Meanwhile' (Leonard and Page's finest hour), it gets underneath the skin of human relationships and the American Dream.
On opening tracks,
'Everything Is Missing You' and
'Wounded Angel', Keane juxtaposes universal themes with an intimate quality, etching these and others - the plaintive
'Rolling With Me' and '
Everything Changed' for example - in sombre shades and linear lyrical logic, coloured by an animated string quartet.
A gloriously optimistic, multi layered melody drives
'You Don't Know Me', a rare diversion into Power Pop, using the old model-on-a-billboard theme, one that's been so effectively explored by melodic rock luminaries,
Glen Burtnik and Strangeways.
It's not clear to me if
'Lay Down Our Guns' is an anti-war song, or an anti-gun song, (and yes, there is a difference), but either way, Keane's quiet passion is almost palpable.
There's a real swell of romanticism to the churchy
'Baby I Love your Fire'. Strangely, this song reminds me of the late Alex Chilton. It's artful, it's joyous, it has moments of great beauty and poignancy.
The real album highlight though, is the title track,
'Everything Changed'. A balladic, coming of age song with Keane homeward bound, feeling an emotional connection and reaching for salvation. It's a moving admission of what it is to be human, grafted on to a sinuous tune.
Elsewhere, the uplifting Crie de Coeur,
'This Is My Country' and the haunting, confessional,
'Goodbye John' come late in the album, but buoyed by choirs and strings and memorable melodies, they are as good as the earlier material.
For rock fans who like singer songwriters in the style of Don Henley and Richard Page, when they were truly great, then this is for you.
Highly Recommended.
Written by
Brian Tuesday, July 6, 2010
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