You know that Pavlov’s Dogs business? Well, conditioning applies to humans, too. We have Keane to thank for this discovery, for every listen of their hit single 'Bedshaped' induced bouts of wild, noisy, involuntary vomiting. If you don’t believe me, ask the people I live with. Every time the song came on the radio, those poor souls had to clear up the mess.

Fortunately (for my housemates and the general public), Keane’s first release from their upcoming second album merely induces staring into space. 'Is It Any Wonder?' races along to an electric piano-led riff that sounds exactly like a guitar riff from a Cast song no one remembers (which begs two questions: why write it in the first place and why not use a guitar? Oh, and a third: was Britpop really so bad that for a while only Blur and Oasis were bigger than Cast?).

One redeeming feature is balloon-faced singer Tom Chaplin’s voice, which is on top form. Although if I were him, I’d be fearing for my future in the band. If pianist Tim Rice-Oxley can be bothered to pointlessly make a piano sound like a guitar, who’s to say he won’t also make it sound like Chaplin?
(2/5)