DOVES

Kingdom of Rust

2009-03-29

On this their fourth studio release, the threesome known as the Doves serves up what some might expect from a band finding its groove - a bigger and more mature sound. While the lyrics are merely okay - many of them have a veiled sort of meaning - what stands out on Kingdom of Rust is truly the sound. For instance, the first four songs are truly the four best tracks here and most definitely stand out from the rest. "Jetstream" is a great opener with a sound that builds and builds as it plugs along - a true pleasure to listen to. "Kingdom of Rust," the title track as well as the first single, is another good song that just plain sounds good. Next, "The Outsiders," begins in a Pink Floyd sort of way but then gradually moves into the more familiar Dove territory making for an interesting spin. Finally, "Winter Hill" is a love song of sorts as Jimi Goodwin sings and reminisces about days on Winter Hill. While the effort seems to taper off a bit midway through the eleven song set, it does end well with four pretty good songs. "House of Mirrors," one of the faster moving songs on the album and "Lifelines," a slower and yet well put together song, are the best of the final four. In the end, aside from the addition of a few "beats and blips" commonly found in electronic music, the Doves still sound like the Doves and have provided something well worth a few spins for fans both new and old. ~Reviewed by Jeff Bouma

Quick Links:

• The Doves Official Site