Doves

Doves' consistency is in their inconsistencies. From the Blade Runner-inspired opener "Jetstream" and the spaghetti western strut of "Kingdom of Rust" to the flickering Dark Side of the Moon synths in "The Outsiders," the disco-meets-the-Verve kick of "Compulsion" and the early Stones-ish "House of Mirrors," they're simply not content working just one angle. But instead of sounding restless, they somehow make it all cohesive. The result: Doves not only give a healthy nod to their Brit rock influences, they also prove they can stand tall alongside them.

For their fourth record in nine years, Doves deliver gorgeous, sonically adventurous tunes
dappled with strings, droning guitars, Radiohead-ish atmospherics and singer Jimi
Goodwin's longing tales of lonely train rides and missing the sunshine. Kingdom of Rust is
wonderfully dolorous, but when Doves rev up the tempos on tracks like "The Outsiders,"
they show they're not a total pity party. Their good cheer isn't always convinci... More >