Doves - Kingdom Of Rust [CD]

EMI

April 7, 2009, 04:42 PM

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As a nation we seem to be stuck in a bit of a musical rut. Throughout the noughties record buyers have become complacent and will seemingly only fork out their hard earned (sic) cash on the familiar, the tried and tested and the 'safe'. This has had a knock on effect in that it's caused the average life expectancy of most young bands to plummet substantially, so it's rare these days to see a band make it to their 4th album. Doves have weathered this storm admirably, as have their Manchester based contemporaries (and musical dopplegangers) Elbow. Elbow finally garnered the respect (and record sales) they deserved last year with the critically and commercially successful 'Seldom Seen Kid', some might argue Doves have also earned their due, however they are that rare oddity, they are actually much more successful than they appear to be. Both 2002's 'The Last Broadcast' and 2005's 'Come Cities' reached the top of the charts and profitable tours with the likes of U2 and Coldplay followed. It's been 4 years though and with the industries (and the countries) recent economic down-turn Doves really need to act like their back at square one. Elbows approximation of their own sound ("prog without the solos and drastic time signatures") could also be applied to Doves, however their sound if anything owes much more to psychedelia and dance music than Elbow's. Indeed, Doves once traded under the name 'Sub Sub', a dance act who only changed direction when their studio burned down (I'd imagine Doves may well have chosen a more exotic bird based name if there wasn't already a band called "Phoenix'). On Kingdom Of Rust they choose to leave behind some of the 'dancier' sounds and ideas of their previous efforts and focus more on the kind of ambient, atmospheric textures so beloved of Brian Eno (who tried and failed to re-ignite the unforgettable fire with U2 earlier this year).

Doves put their best feet forward by opening the album with what may quite possibly be their strongest song yet. Jetstream has a tangible push and pull which keeps the listener in a state of positive tension throughout. The subtle build of sounds, textures and dynamics, the clattering electronic drums, rolling fuzz bass and the tired, distant vocals come together to form a beautiful unifying whole. The explosive ending is a really gratifying pay-off too and really underlines the bands ear for an epic crescendo, they are firing on all cylinders here. The title track initially comes across as a bit of an anti-climax after Jetstreams full throttle opening shot and it bears more than a passing resemblance to their earlier hit "There Goes The Fear". It lacks any of 'Fears' defining melodies and at a little over 5 minutes it tends to drag. That's not to say it's a bad song (things really pick up towards the end when the kitchen sink gets thrown into the mix) but it's far from the best this record has to offer and I can't personally see the logic in using it to represent the album as a first single.

Outsiders is the albums only real balls out rock song and as such it really picks up the pace after the title tracks rumbling spaghetti western stylings. On first listen it could almost be a stray track off Kasabian's first record or Primal Screams 'Screamadelica' but it reveals itself to have far more depth. The subtle vocal effects and Jonny Greenwood indebted guitar patterns work against a grinding bass guitar and a heavy dose of reverb which lends the song a vaguely trance like quality. In fact practically every track on this record is lavished with reverb and it's a decision that I for one am not 100% sure of. It gives the album a much warmer sound but it sacrifices the immediacy that would really benefit a track such as Outsiders. A minor quibble maybe but modern indie bands of this vain do have a tendency to over-use reverb (especially on vocals) and in some cases it can be really damaging.

Winter Hill is up next and is one of my favourites. The circular, heavily effected riffs and nagging melodies bring to mind the much underrated Grandaddy and the chorus takes a really interesting left turn, It's this albums "Almost Forgot Myself". The bridge in this song is truly superb, bringing to mind the sun baked psychadelica of 'Sergeant Peppers" complete with parping trumpets and swirling sound effects. Overall a killer song and a definite future hit. The sombre 10:03 (supposedly the time of front-man Jim Goodwins homeward bound train departure) is a slow burning song and one of the albums real 'lighter's aloft' moments, it's got that widescreen 'Coldplay' sound without any of the cheesy over earnest sentimentality. The drum break (one of the few times Andy Williams gets to shine on the record) a couple of minutes in signals almost a complete change in pace for the track though as it segways into a swaggering bridge section that in theory should work but doesn't really grab me, it feels as though there should be something grander, more ambitious here.

The Greatest Denier follows and from the out-set it's clear this ones going to be a little bit special. Those circular guitar motifs are back and here they are accompanied by a soaring melody and rhythm section which takes the song in a direction not too dissimilar to Danish prog-poppers 'Mew'. It's here however that Jim Goodwins limitations as a singer become abundantly clear. His thick, dazed manchunian drawl sound perfect up against the more delicate likes of Kingdom Of Rust but this song deserves a real 'performance' and I just don't think Goodwins capable of delivering. Personally I'm more fond of guitarist Jez Williams sharper, more refined tones but that could well be down to personal preference. One thing I will say on the vocal front though is that the harmonies on this record are generally tight as fuck, whether they will be able to pull it off live is another matter entirely.

It's here that we hit the albums peak, and we all know that unfortunately with your peaks come your troughs. Birds Flew Backwards is pleasant enough but it's all style and no substance, a classic mid album slump which is further compounded by Spellbound (which is basic 'Parachutes' indie-pop by numbers) and Compulsion, an over-baked misconception of a song that seems to think slap bass is a good idea, to be frank it sounds like a bad '!!!' song.

House of Mirrors however is awesome and really helps the record back up on it's feet after 3 so-so tracks it could have done without. A simple yet effective pounding beat is backed by clattering, heavily panned sound effects and an almost gothic atmosphere. It's unlike anything else on here and is by a long-shot the albums most daring and rewarding song, It sounds alot like the Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 'Get Ready For Love', except (if you can believe it) House Of Mirrors seems to plunder even darker territory. There's a really claustrophobic sound to the track and the lyrics really bring the uneasy vibes home ("faces in the hallway, cracks up in the ceiling, shadows coming my way, echoes in the alleyway, footsteps in the hall"). The numerous instrumental breakdowns and clashing textures frame the most impressive chorus on the record and by the time it was over i instantly went for the repeat button (the only time i did so while reviewing this record). Finally we reach the finish line with 'Lifelines', a beautiful little track that serves as a perfect bookend for the album. It's understated, melancholic and lyrically reflective, three things that Doves tend to do really well indeed. The lyrics throughout the album as a whole could very easily been seen as "down", but there is a redemptive quality to Goodwins words that stops most songs from falling into self pitying melodrama and here redemption is very much on the cards. All in all Lifelines brings the album to a neat and tidy close, it's not the grand, bold statement many would expect from such an ambitious band but it's a beautiful moment (more a soft sigh than a whimper).

Where previous albums were all about hooks and bluster, kingdom of rust is an altogether more moody and contemplative affair and is all the more interesting for it. It's a familiar sounding record on first listen (which is always a good sign), there's a real warmth to the production and a conviction in the song-writing that only comes with experience. Yes it's front-loaded, ponderous and a little dull in places but Kingdom Of Rust is the record where Doves push the boat out as far is it will go while still tethered to the indie-rock mainland and as such one can only hope next time round they will sever the ties completely and deliver something truly remarkable. It's not their best record and there's a fair amount of filler but it's also a record that I feel will reveal more in time and it may well prove to be about as adventurous as mainstream rock music gets this year. A solid return.

Tracklisting

1. *Jetstream*
2. Kingdom of Rust
3. The Outsiders
4. *Winter Hill*
5. 10:03
6. *The Great Denier*
7. Birds Flew Backwards
8. Spellbound
9. Compulsion
10. *House Of Mirrors*
11. Lifelines

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