DOVES – KINGDOM OF RUST

Doves have been hiding away in their wintry Manchurian nest for a long time now, since 2005’s acclaimed Some Cities album the world has noticed a distinct absence of their stomping, melancholic pop experimentation’s. Where their last record ventured into the chunkier sounds of the Northern Soul movement, this long-gestated epic sees them make something of a return to the reverby mindscapes of their eponymous Last Broadcast era. The title track here is an arresting beautiful thing, Jimi Goodwin’s resonant baritone pleading “My god wants an ocean of trust, in this kingdom of rust” against an insistent shuffle, its soul chord structures tugging the heartstrings in all the right places; most impressively the song’s sonics develop into a machine gun-fire of guitars and rattling snare drums in the crux – it really is a great track. There are clubbier moments throughout, courtesy of drummer Andy Williams, such as the hypnotic, almost nauseous opener Jetstream. The Doves’ specialty lies in the underplaying of lyrical dramatics, and the careful layering of instruments against their simple but powerful melodies. This collection is a strong contribution to their canon of majestic folk rock; perhaps not as singular or arresting as their debut or Some Cities, but nonetheless comforting to know they still have these hooks up their sleeves.

***1/2