Hopes and Fears
Hopes and Fears is the debut studio album by the English alternative rock band Keane. It was released on 10 May 2004 in the United Kingdom and topped the UK Albums Chart upon release. It was the UK's second best-selling album of 2004, behind the Scissor Sisters' self-titled debut album, and has since been certified 9× Platinum by the BPI. The album returned to the top of the charts after winning a Brit Award for Best Album in February 2005.
This article is about the album by Keane. For other uses, see Hopes and Fears (disambiguation).Hopes and Fears
10 May 2004
July 2001 – January 2004[1]
Helioscentric (Rye, East Sussex, England)
50:37
- Andy Green
- Keane
- James Sanger
With more than 2.7 million copies sold in the UK, Hopes and Fears ranks the 11th-best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK.[2] In July 2011, it was ranked the 9th-highest-selling album of the 21st century in the UK.[3] As of September 2019 it is the 36th-best-selling album in UK chart history.[4] Worldwide, the album has sold over 5.8 million copies as of November 2009.[5] It was also among ten albums nominated for the best British album of the previous 30 years by the Brit Awards in 2010, ultimately losing to (What's the Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis.[6]
Album information[edit]
Unlike their follow-up album, most songs were already composed by the album's conception date; the track "She Has No Time" was composed circa 1999, making it the earliest composed song appearing on the album. Some were already played in a guitar-led form with Dominic Scott still in the band. "Bedshaped", "She Has No Time", and "This Is The Last Time" were played at some of the last gigs with Scott.[7] The tracks "On a Day Like Today" and "We Might As Well Be Strangers" became the last to be composed, circa 2003.
The album was recorded at Helioscentric Studios in Peasmarsh, Rye by Andy Green and the band between September and Christmas 2003. James Sanger did not attend any recording sessions post his involvement with the band in 2001.
The album was mixed down to six channels to enable a release on Super Audio CD (SACD).
The album takes its name from the lyrics of the song "Snowed Under", released as a B-side on the single for "Somewhere Only We Know". The relevant section of the lyrics reads: "You've been looking everywhere for someone to understand your hopes and fears."
Hal Leonard music published two versions of the official score book for Hopes and Fears, designed for differing skill levels. The Music Sales Group also published a book, including two demo CDs with accompanying bass and drum tracks, along with scores for the B-side songs "Snowed Under", "Walnut Tree", and "Fly to Me".