Photo Credit: Jude Harrison
The debut album from London’s Keo has finally arrived. Put A Smile On For Me has been much anticipated, with their massive fanbase just waiting to belt out the lyrics of every track on the forthcoming, sold-out UK tour.
Keo are vocalist/rhythm guitarist Finn Keogh, guitarist Jimmy Lanwern (guitar), bassist Conor Keogh (bass) and drummer Oli Spackman. The four-piece have been creating a lot of noise this year and rightly so, we have been lucky enough to see them play at Sound City, TRNSMT, Y Not and Leeds Festival this summer, with an early outing for more than a few of the new songs too.
If Oasis have been responsible for bringing back guitar music to the masses, then Keo can perhaps be considered as a band that could bring back the days of 1990s grunge. Finn Keogh puts his raspy vocals to good use in opening track Be Happy, and this is followed-up by the excellent That’s Me, the band’s most streamed song so far. It may be short at two minutes and eleven seconds, but that time is filled delightfully with guitarist Jimmy Lanwern showcasing his skills and Finn Keogh providing some guttural lyrics, as is proven within the chorus: “That’s me in the corner / That’s me that gets in your way / That’s me sucking the life from her / That’s me I’ve become a fucking plague.” Very self-deprecating lyrics indeed!
Fly and Best I Can Do will go down a treat live on the upcoming tour, while Bird On The Wire begins at a slow pace before exploding into life. Pistol was released as a single back in July, giving fans a sneak peek of what was ahead, the same month that a support slot for Wolf Alice at London’s Finsbury Park won them many new fans. The opening lines of Loser remind us so much of the iconic 1990s U2 track One, before the pace of the song changes and introduces grungier elements. Black Dress has been on Keo‘s setlist for a while now and is one of the finest songs on the record, the explosive guitar intervals are very pleasing on the ears.
Thorn has been a fan-favourite for some time, it was actually on their debut EP Sirens and has to be right up there as one of our personal favourites too, alongside I Lied, Amber. The closing track on the album is Spent On You, this one has some heartfelt lyrics and is maybe as near to a love song that you will ever get from Keo. Towards the end the guitars take prominence as Finn screams out.
Keo‘s fanbase will be learning all these new song lyrics as we speak in time for the tour, where we are hoping to catch them at Glasgow’s O2 Academy.
9/10
Standout Tracks: That’s Me, Thorn, Spent On You
For Fans Of: Basht, Bleech 9:3, Overpass
Written by: Alan Brown
