Jimi has chosen ‘Jacob And The Angel’ by The Invisible, to be Q The Music’s Monday “Track Of The Day”, as part of Doves’ role as guest editors of the website this week.
Jimi Goodwin: “Lovely guys who have just supported us on our first short UK tour. Brilliant live. They were ending their set with this and it had me grooving every night.”
‘Jetstream’ is a powerful, Blade Runner inspired number –taking some twists on the Vangelis futuristic synth/rock sound created for the film and crafting a song cloaked in dark streets, neon signs and ‘silent jets at night’. This seamlessly takes us into the single, and title track, ‘Kingdom Of Rust’. Moving things from a future vision to a hybrid of Sergio Leone westerns and a road trip through the cold north. Accompanied by a most touching and captivating promo video, the sense is that Doves have embraced the cinematic and are attempting to be as widescreen as they can.
A telling moment arrives in “House of Mirrors,” in which vocalist Jimi Goodwin sings of ghostly alleyways and bewildering echoes. The song is an appropriate summary of the entire album’s predicament, for despite the steady hand of producer John Leckie (Radiohead’s The Bends), Rust gets lost in one too many back alleys and side paths, all of which the Doves are too happy to explore.
It’s not necessarily dramatic enough to call it a “return to form,” since Doves are about as consistently pleasing a band as one is likely to find these days, but the fact that they have come back around to more of the lush soundscapes and, yes, occasional nods to their past, certainly works to the benefit of Kingdom of Rust, the band’s fourth studio album. If anything, Kingdom splits the difference between the stripped-back rock of 2005’s Some Cities and the grand, pristine epics of 2000’s classic mopey debut, Lost Souls, and 2002’s more positive and equally brilliant follow-up, The Last Broadcast.
Renowned Chemical Brothers programmer Tom Rowlands lends his recognisable arranging skills to ‘10.03’ a stunning, intimate four minutes, which sits comfortably amongst the more high-octane tracks the album has to offer.
Four years in the making, but worth the wait, Doves return by mixing their early melancholy with the cathartic dance-tinged rock of Last Broadcast.
You can hear the cabin fever in the longing claustrophobia of the haunting Greatest Denier and Winter Hill. But the celebration of Outsiders and Compulsion match Pounding for joy.
Veterans though they are, they’re still as hedonistic as music gets. 9/10
These Brits’ last record came out back in 2005, but the time off hasn’t inspired any tectonic changes. And that’s a blessing: On their fourth album, Doves consistently deliver outsize rock drama, with slight diversions into New Order–ish electro (“Jetstream”) and hints of garage psych (“House of Mirrors”). Mostly, though, it’s all about the melancholy rafter-reaching, like Coldplay on their darkest day. The title track chugs menacingly before swelling into a sunlit chorus, while “Winter Hill” wrings sweetness from breakup sadness. It’s familiar, sure, but Kingdom of Rust has a welcome warmth.
FOUR years is a long time to take a rest from the music business.
But it’s even longer if your plan is to shuffle back in with a track that almost apologetically asks you to lend it your ears.
It’s a classic Doves ruse, of course: the gently-gently rhythms, timid vocals begging for greater prominence in the mix and a goosebumpy piano sequence are actually all just bobbing around hiding the inevitable crescendo waiting in the wings.
True to form, Kingdom Of Rust finds occasion to throw a few bolder punches as its reaches for a more panoramic prospective with a flurry of strings –a melancholic downpour over the otherwise calm proceedings.
It’s a faithful return, then –perhaps encouraged by Elbow’s phenomenal success, they don’t tinker with the formula.
Which is just the news Doves fans were hoping for.
Q The Music.com (the online presence of Q Magazine) have announced that Doves will be guest editors next week:
To mark the release of Doves fourth album Kingdom Of Rust, Doves will be taking over Qthemusic.com as guest editors next week. The band – who received a four star review for their new work – “an album of life-affirming, genre-busting, career-defining majesty”, no less.
Throughout next week, the band will be choosing the ‘tracks of the day’, the band will be writing about their dream Q cover star, plus their memories of recording each of their albums. Plus we will also feature some of the band’s finest videos.
Come back from April 6 to view which tracks they choose – and more …
Doves will be performing live on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Loose Ends’ show today, which starts in about 10 minutes time!
Music comes from Doves, the twice Mercury Prize nominated, Mancunian musical magpies, who play Kingdom of Rust from their forthcoming album of the same title.
U.K. listeners can listen live via the BBC iPlayer, here. Non-U.K. listeners may be able to listen live via streaming Real Audio, here.
The Boston Sun Chronicle has posted ticket info for Doves’ forthcoming show at the city’s House Of Blues:
The Doves, June 7, 8 p.m., Boston House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston. $18 advance, $20 day of show. livenation.com, hob.com/boston or 800-745-3000.
The Irish Independent News has posted a great article about the new album, which is half-interview and half a meditation on being aged thirty-something in the current musical climate.
“The younger generation, they’re not as equipped for hardship are they?” ruminates Jez Williams, Doves’ matey, crumpled frontman. “People who are in school now, teenagers and the like, they haven’t experienced real want.”
The Quietus has announced that Doves are to play the Obelisk Arena at this year’s Latitude Festival, taking place in Southwold, Suffolk, between July 16th and 19th.
Doves and Editors have also been announced to appear at the Obelisk Arena where Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will be headlining.
For more information about the Latitude Festival, visit the official site, here.
New movie ‘500 Days Of Summer’ features the classic Doves track, ‘There Goes The Fear’, amongst other tracks by the likes of Belle & Sebastian, The Smiths and Feist.
For further information about the soundtrack and movie, visit the official site, here.
Doves will appear on the second show of the new season of the BBC’s ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ show, to be broadcast at 22:00pm BST, April 14th on BBC Two.
Visit the IMDb UK TV & Radio guide, here, for further information.