Of all the post-Brit-pop outfits, Doves reaches back the furthest;
the trio originated as one-hit wonders Sub Sub, whose heyday was during
the UK’s late-1980s Madchester movement. Jimi Goodwin and twins Jez and
Andy Williams formed Doves in 1998, and while Radiohead got the
critical mash notes, and the Verve’s antics frenzied the tabloids, this
trio quietly released four albums in the past nine years.
Doves’ latest dishes out a sound that’s far more complex than you’d
expect from three guys. Credit the fact that the threesome never wholly
abandoned the fusion of psychedelic rock and dance music that was an
integral aspect of their prior incarnation. Recorded in a barn in the
English countryside, this collection of songs reflects a sweet sense of
melancholy, whether it’s “Winter Hill” and its allusions to innocent
first love, soaked in Mellotron and swirling guitar riffs, or
“Spellbound,” whose ethereal jangle recalls a less-pretentious
Coldplay. Like Spiritualized or early Primal Scream, Doves are able to
pack some punch into an otherwise seemingly innocuous ambient setting.
A thunderous bassline and crashing guitars are sandwiched between the
genteel cello that usher in “10:03” and Goodwin’s forlorn croon at the
end. Likewise “Lifelines,” which uses layered riffs and muscular reverb
to build up into a highly satisfying atmospheric soundscape. In the
end, Doves impress with an approach that’s far from staid or passive.
(Astralwerks/Heavenly Recording)
