Keane's 'Strangeland' is return to Britpop

When Keane arrived in 2004 with a massive, multiplatinum hit "Hopes and Fears," few would have pegged them as one of Britpop's most adventurous acts. Yet the laid-back trio has experimented with rock, synth pop and dance music, before returning home to Britpop anthems for the new album "Strangeland" (Interscope). For those who miss the "Somewhere Only We Know" sound, Keane offers the nostalgic single "Silenced by the Night" and "Watch How You Go." They dabble in fizzy '80s synth pop with "Sovereign Light Cafe" and "On the Road," but mostly "Strangeland" provides familiar, timeless sing-alongs that charm like their debut.

KEANE

"Strangeland"

GRADE B+

BOTTOM LINE Finding familiar Britpop ground with "Strangeland"