Photo by Ian Doreian of melophobe.com

Thanks to Beth, for letting us know about this Boston Review. Check it out, for some of the best pictures of the US tour.

In my experience, the most difficult show to review is the one embroiled in mediocrity. Luckily for me, Doves wasted no time creating a dense wall-to-wall melodic soundscape in the House of Blues: a perfect compliment to the massive scrim onto which clever Danny Boyle-like music videos danced for the duration of the concert. The best live acts let you know right from the get-go that you’re going to enjoy yourself.

In the final performance their 2009 North American tour, Doves opening number “Jetstream” from their most recent release Kingdom of Rust functioned as a veritable “look what we can do,” comprised of a three or four minute crescendo that rolled together layers of programmed bass drums and snares, wobbly synthesizers, and surging guitar licks as it tumbled forward. Critics have hailed Kingdom as the group’s most ambitious project, and their performance showed that this ambition translates to the stage.

To read the full review, and see more stunning photos, click here.