Keane Making New Album In Paris And Berlin

British rock trio Keane are halfway through recording the follow-up to Under The Iron Sea after sessions in Paris and, currently, Berlin.

The as-yet untitled album will reportedly be released in September. According to a series of updates on the band's website in recent weeks, they spent three weeks in late January and early February in Sussex, England writing the material. The group are working with producer Jon Brion and "Cedric T. Badger," a disguised character who dressed as a badger in the studio. Song titles include "Perfect Symmetry," "Playing Along" and "YHTMA." The latter apparently has "a massive concert bass drum" and "the fattest bassline since 'Billie Jean.'"

"Each day I seem to be filling up more and more with a sense of nervous excitement about what we're going to achieve with this record," singer Tom Chaplin wrote in a March 10 post.

The band also checked out some French wines during their Paris stay.

"Although the recording is going well, we have also found the time to confirm that the French really do keep the best wines for themselves, and the pastries in France are like the Guinness in Ireland — the best you'll get anywhere," drummer Richard Hughes wrote on Feb. 29. "With the coffee, smaller is definitely better. Starbucks please take note."

Keane released Under The Iron Sea in 2006, but their tour was put on hold while Chaplin went into a rehab clinic that August. Keane played Live Earth in 2007 and released a charity single titled "The Night Sky" for War Child last October.