New Music: Spirit Of Your Friend

           

Doves have shared an emotive new “lost” song, ‘Spirit Of Your Friend’. The unearthed track has been added to the band’s ‘So, Here We Are: Best Of Doves’ compilation, which is released on November 14 via EMI North and it’s about friends we have lost and those we’re grateful are still with us.”News of the ‘Best Of’ album arrived at the start of August, when the members said that they would be celebrating nearly three decades together by releasing the compilation and embarking on a UK tour.

Rocktrospectiva: The Strength And Cathartic "The Universal Want" Turns 5

Released on 11 September 2020 "The Universal Want" was the fifth studio album by British indie rock band Doves, it was the band's first album following a hiatus that began in 2010; the band members pursued solo projects in the interim.

Three digital singles preceded the album's release: "Carousels" in June, "Prisoners" in July, and "Cathedrals of the Mind" in August, earned critical acclaim and was commercially successful, entering the UK Albums Chart at #1, becoming Doves' third album to achieve the top position.

It is the band's only album in which singer and bassist Jimi Goodwin sings lead vocals on every track, although guitarist Jez Williams sings co-lead vocals on "Mother Silverlake".

Doves announced they would be taking an indefinite hiatus. Jimi Goodwin released his debut solo album, Odludek, in March 2014, while Jez and Andy Williams regrouped as Black Rivers and released a self-titled album in February 2015. In December 2018, Goodwin and the Williams brothers announced they would be reuniting as Doves and performing at the Royal Albert Hall in support for the Teenage Cancer Trust in March 2019.

Following the warm reception to the performance and additional live gigs, rumours began to circulate regarding new material being written and recorded. On 18 June 2020, the band released "Carousels", their first new song in ten years. A month later on 9 July, the band announced the details of their new album and released the album's first proper single, "Prisoners".

Doves partly recorded the album at Frank Bough Sound III (a studio converted from a barn in Cheshire where they had recorded Kingdom of Rust), Big Red Studios in Macclesfield, EVE Studios in Stockport and Vada Studios in Alcester in England. The band co-produced the album with frequent collaborator Dan Austin, and it was mixed by Craig Silvey at London's Toast Studios and Dan Austin at SoundHorn Studios in southwest England.

Andy Williams said there was a renewed focus and clarity in the studio after not recording together for as long as the band did; he added,  there was also an appreciation of what all three of us brought to the band originally. We enjoy each other's company. We missed writing together and we also gave each other more room. If someone wasn't feeling great one day we'd reconvene at a later date whereas during Kingdom of Rust we were working solidly day-to-day; clocking in. It was quite militant. We've always had a strong work ethic but this time it was different because of the way we gave each other space if they weren't feeling it. It was a lot easier as a process."

The album's artwork was chosen by the band from London-based, Finnish photographer Maria Lax. Goodwin was moved by the images in Lax's 2020 photobook, Some Kind of Heavenly Fire, and he gifted his bandmates a copy each. This marks the first album release by the band to not feature artwork from longtime collaborator Rick Myers.

The Universal Want was met with critical praise, and regarded as a cathartic comeback, they were taking strength from sadness, hope from despair, and wisdom from experience, an autobiographical subtext and musically it encapsulates perfectly three decades of experience and ideas. Definitely Doves had produced a masterpiece of a record, which arguably could be considered their finest album to date.

 

The Universal Want Track List: 

 

1. Carousels

2. I Will Not Hide

3. Broken Eyes

4. For Tomorrow

5. Cathedrals Of The Mind

6. Prisoners

7. Cycle Of Hurt

8. Mother Silverlake

9. Universal Want

10. Forest House

New Music: Cally

           

Manchester-based trio Doves have shared "Cally," a bonus track from the album. Goodwin had this to say about the new single in a statement: "It’s about seemingly, permanently shambling people, those who just never seem to get anywhere and they deserve so much better. A story of lovely ne’er-do-wells who always seem to grab the wrong end of a dirty stick."

New Music: Lean Into Wind

             

Doves released a new single, the atmospheric"Lean Into The Wind" this was a previously unreleased lead track from their upcoming, limited edition Record Store Day 2025 vinyl release. Lean Into The Wind' sees frontman Jimi Goodwin in striking form, with his unmistakable vocals front and centre. The track delves deep into themes of vulnerability and addiction, drawing directly from personal experience. “It’s all there in the lyrics,” Goodwin explains. “It’s about addiction. It’s drawn from a situation I was in at the time and, although I am inspired more by making songs about characters, this literally happened to me. Going to someone’s house, trying something, and it consuming you within days.” With honesty and reflection, the song emerges as both a personal confessional and a cautionary tale—one shaped by Goodwin’s resilience and the band’s continued creative unity. “I’m not ashamed of it,” he continues. “It’s a story of what can happen and it’s not uncommon. It happens to people every day. Hopefully it’s a cautionary tale.” 'Lean Into The Wind' is available now on digital platforms. The limited edition 10” vinyl will be available exclusively at participating Record Store Day locations on the 19th April 2025.

Rocktrospectiva: The Shimmering And Acclaimed "Lost Souls" Turns 25

Released on 3 April 2000, "Lost Souls" was the debut studio album by British indie rock band Doves, the album was recorded over a period of several years, following the dissolution of Doves' original musical incarnation as house music act Sub Sub. Lost Souls was a moderate chart success in the UK; the album peaked at number 16, spawning the three singles "The Cedar Room", "Catch The Sun", &  "The Man Who Told Everything" the three charted in the Top 40.

Considered by many to be the best debut album by a British act since Oasis' Definitely Maybe. It was met with positive critical acclaim and was a shortlist nominee for the Mercury Prize in 2000. The album was roundly praised on its release for its blending of claustrophobic intensity and euphoria, the sonic influences from electronic music present in its textures and for being "the perfect after-hours soundtrack.

In the early 1990s, Jimi Goodwin and twin brothers Jez and Andy Williams were producing dance music as Sub Sub. The trio, along with guest vocalist Melanie Williams, had a club and chart hit single with "Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)" in 1993, reaching #3 on the UK Singles Chart and becoming one of many dance singles to cross over into mainstream popularity in the UK.

In February 1996, on the Williams twins' birthday, the band's recording studio located in Ancoats, Manchester caught fire and burned down, destroying virtually all of the band's equipment and recorded material. In an interview with Excellent Online, Jimi Goodwin said of the fire, "Yeah, we lost tapes, we lost equipment. But we were insured. If we weren't insured, we might not be here now. The only surviving recorded material recovered from the ashes was released as Delta Tapes in February 1998, featuring early versions of later Doves tracks "Firesuite" and "Blue Water", as well as B-side tracks "Crunch" and "Lost in Watts".

Before the fire, however, the band were looking towards a new musical direction. In a 2009 interview with QTheMusic.com, Andy Williams stated that, "As Sub Sub we never made the album we thought we were all capable of. We'd always been in love with the idea of albums as opposed to just singles – which are cool in their way and suit dance music perfectly but we wanted to stretch ourselves and make a statement with a set of songs. So around 1996 we started writing and recording the songs which would finally become Lost Souls. We were for all intent and purposes still Sub Sub (we only called ourselves Doves a week or two before The Cedar Room was released, because we wanted a fresh start and a break from the past)."

During the album recording sessions, the band were facing the prospect of finding a lead singer, but found themselves more than satisfied with bassist Jimi Goodwin's vocals: "I think the key songs for us on Lost Souls were 'The Cedar Room' and 'Break Me Gently', because they were the first songs Jimi sang properly and we realised we needn't go looking outside the band for this 'mythical singer', something our friend and label boss Rob Gretton had been telling us for years," said Andy Williams." And once Jimi started we [Andy and Jez] started singing as well. We took years to get there. He recognized something in us and helped us to share it with the world."

Doves signed with London-based independent record label Heavenly Recordings, and a reissue of the band's debut single "The Cedar Room" was released as the forthcoming album's first single in March 2000. Andy Williams concluded of Lost Souls that, "The best thing was that after all the years of hard work and very testing times we knew we were finally creating the sort of music we had always wanted to ..." The band also dedicated Lost Souls to their late friend and mentor Rob Gretton.

Lost Souls was met with generally positive reviews. Several praised the album, and described the album as a rock record that kept the dance spirit alive, but could also appeal to a pop audience: "Lost Souls was a record that was widely discussed, and people wondered aloud whether its success marked the end of another era of dance music. In truth, it was a record about growing up; about giving up the drugs and the madness of The Haçienda, where the three Cheshire lads met. But because the simmering emotion on songs like 'The Cedar Room' was expressed through guitars rather than synths, in no way did that mean that Doves were taking dance music out the back and burying it in a shallow grave. 

 

Lost Souls Track List:

 

1. Firesuit

2. Here It Comes

3. Break Me Gently

4. Sea Song

5. Rise

6. Lost Souls

7. Melody Calls

8. Catch The Sun

9. The Man Who Told Everything

10. The Cedar Room

11. Reprise

12. A House

Albums: Constellations For The Lonely

Released last 28 February 2025 "Constellations For The Lonely" is the sixth studio album by British band Doves, described by the band as a "dark" album, guitarist/singer Jez Williams said in an interview with NME, and according to medias it's an impeccable production and propulsive moments led by Jimi Goodwin brighten the Manchester trio’s somewhat lethargic latest 

 

The album was released following a troubled period in the band's history, as singer/bassist Jimi Goodwin sought treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues following the release of previous album The Universal Want; this resulted in his being sidelined from touring for Constellations and then prompted the band to cancel all remaining promotion for the album whilst Goodwin sought treatment.

 

The album opener and first single "Renegade" being the first thing the band recorded together for the album, it's got a Blade Runner-esque theme. It was inspired by the Roy Batty speech of how nothing lasts forever, you know, 'I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.' Jez Williams furthered, "This is quite a dark album. We started to write it after we cancelled The Universal Want tour, so some of the songs reflect that. We wanted 'Renegade' to start with this apocalyptic atmosphere. That's what felt right for us after such a difficult time. Jimi was with us, but we were trying to make sense of all the mess – and that fed into the album."

 

Indeed Renegade and Saint Teresa are the most typically Doves moments on the album, impeccably constructed but a bit gloomy.  The album features vocals from all three members throughout, with the Williams brothers leading second single "Cold Dreaming". "Cold Dreaming" and "Last Year's Man" feature drummer Andy Williams singing lead vocals for the first time since "Shadows of Salford" from Some Cities, actually "Last Year's Man is one of the highlights of the record an definitely should be a single at least for me, a reflection from Andy's growing children, another good one is "Strange Weather" which travels quite a distance, starting as a detached ballad before a synth line appears from nowhere as wobbly, compressed drums crash in, turning things cinematic and nightmarish, with echoes of 70s prog. "A Drop In The Ocean" pays a timely homage to The Cure with its spiky bassline.

 

The album has received a critical praise so far, stating Constellations, with its songs of disconnection and reconnection in a volatile world, is an emotionally powerful listen that packs an authentic punch matched by its widescreen sonic beauty. Despite many obstacles thrown in their path, Doves seem to never fail to impress when they return and this album is no exception.

 

Constellations For The Lonely Track List: 

 

1. Renegade

2. Cold Dreaming 

3. In The Butterfly House

4. Strange Weather

5. A Drop In The Ocean

6. Last Year's Man

7. Stupid Schenes

8. Saint Teresa

9. Orlando

10. Southern Bell

New Music: A Drop In The Ocean

           

Doves shares their final album preview single "A Drop In The Ocean" with a fantastic video the Hington Studios. About the single, Andy Williams explained: It's a song about us being insignificant, which can be helpful to remember when you're going through a tough time, "IA problem can be so big in your head," he continues," but it can be comforting to remember how small we are in the grand scheme of things.

Rocktrospectiva: The Ethereal Shimmering "Some Cities" Turns 20

Released on 21 February 2005, "Some Cities" was the third studio album by British band Doves, the album became the band's second consecutive album to top the UK Albums Chart at number 1. Some Cities was conceived as a rawer, stripped-down record, and conceptually touches upon the physical changes of the band's hometown of Manchester, as well as emotional transformations. The album spawned three singles "Black And White Town", "Snowden" and "Sky Starts Falling."

After the worldwide success of Doves' second album The Last Broadcast, the band decided to take a more "stripped-down" approach to recording Some Cities, which included decamping to rural locations in England, Scotland, and Wales. We were also wanting to make a few social comments about the area we lived in. There's a lot of subject matter on that album dealing with change. Buildings get ripped down and replaced by more generic ones. It kind of gave ourselves a bit of purpose to write about it. We also listened to a lot of Motown and Northern soul, and I think that came out in that album. It was a definite change.

In a February 2005 interview with The Irish Times, vocalist/bassist Jimi Goodwin said, "Jeff Barrett from our label, Heavenly, suggested we work with William and we were fine with that, we're always up for trying new stuff. But I think we expected too much from him. He was happy just to be in the studio with us because he hadn't worked with a band since Blur. His point was he was just recording what he was hearing. He wasn't doing anything that we wouldn't do ourselves normally and we put a lot of pressure on him almost to subvert us. He's a top guy, but it just didn't work." The band subsequently co-produced Some Cities with Ben Hillier, who also mixed the album except for "Some Cities" and "Walk in Fire", which were mixed by Rich Costey. 

Much of the recording occurred at a farmhouse in the English countryside over the course of 2004, except for closing track "Ambition", which was recorded in an empty Benedictine monastery in Scotland, which the band had found while doing a photo shoot for the album. The huge reverb effect was achieved using the acoustics of the main hall. 

The album received positive reviews, praising the album, calling it "an ethereal outpouring of emotion; melancholic madness meeting soul-soaring serendipity head on, praising that Doves have cultivated a better understanding of their strengths and limitations, and Some Cities beams with a revivified looseness.

 

Some Cities Track List:  

1. Some Cities

2. Black And White Town

3. Almost Forgot Myself

4. Snowden

5. The Storm

6. Walk In Fire

7. One Of These Days

8. Someday Soon

9. Shadows Of Salford

10. Sky Starts Falling

11. Ambition

New Music: Cold Dreaming

           

Doves shared their new single "Cold Dreaming" Taken from the band's forthcoming album, is a cinematic sound track that features synth riffs, deep beats and an epic soundtrack orchestration, a song about the anxiety and forgiveness, trying to forgive and move on. As a minimum, these days, resilience is the thing that you need more than ever, certainly as a musician. Perhaps the lyrics do touch a bit on what we’ve been through." About the track, guitarist and singer Jez Williams said: "We were always obsessed with Northern Soul, and we wanted to write our version of a cinematic Northern Soul song. Jimi wasn’t around so Andy and I took the vocal duties on that one". The video is under direction by Hingston Studio.

New Music: Renegade

          

Doves are back with a brand new album "Constellations For The Lonely" introducing the're brand new heavy single "Renegade" an epic return from a beloved band that practically took us as a surprise and with a video directed by Hignston Studio that reminds us that dystopian world of Blade Runner.

Rocktrospectiva: El Brillante "The Last Broadcast" Cumple 20 Años

Lanzado el 29 de Abril del 2002, "The Last Broadcast" fue el segundo álbum de estudio de la banda Inglesa Doves, venía precedido del buen sabor de boca que dejó su debut "Lost Sides", ya que este fue directo al No. 1 en el Reino Unido mientras que el single "There Goes The Fear" alcanzó el No. 3, la posición más alta lograda por un single de la banda hasta la fecha, junto a este, se lanzó la increíble "Pounding" y un 3er., single "Caught By The River" también bueno, ambos entraron al top 30 y ayudaron a su eventual nominación al Mercury Prize del 2002. 

 

Tras una gira en el Reino Unido y Estados Unidos, la banda entro al estudio con el fin de lanzar un disco en donde en verdad vieran su fuerza, y que se quitaran esa percepción que tenían de la banda de ser algo pasadero, y salieron con un disco más seguro y confidente, y plasmaron esa vibra y energía en este disco lleno de estridentes y chispeantes momentos eléctricos, cambiaron de estudios y eso ayudó mucho, ya que los temas fluyeron bien sin mucho esfuerzo, ya tenían la melodía para "There Goes The Fear", compusieron "Caught By The River", "M62 Song" que fue por culpa de un letrero que vieron en Northenden entre otras, las letras tenían que ver con amigos de la banda, describiendo muy bien a cada uno en los temas, y así fue como lograron sacar este genial disco que nos tomó a todos por sorpresa hace 20 años. 

En el disco incluyeron algunas novedades como un coro gospel en el tema "Satellites", una sección rítmica del carnaval Brasileño al final del tema "There Goes The Fear" incluso en el video donde usan mucho material visual existente terminan en el Carnaval de Rio, el "M62 Song" es también una adaptación de un tema de King Crimson, y en genial tema "Pounding" usan al mismo equipo de directores que participó en el clip de su primer single aunque este clip anda desaparecido de Youtube.

 

La crítica recibió con los brazos abiertos el discos, dándole una alta calificación, se le considero el disco alentador más miserable, por su contenido, lleno de melancolía pero a la vez con una instrumentación brillante, estridente y poderosa, gracias a las guitarras llenas de efectos en el disco, y por tanto apoyo, finalmente fue nominado al famoso "Mercury Prize" el cual injustamente perdió en contra del disco de Ms, Dynamite, el cual a mi criterio era de inferior calidad pero así suelen ser ese tipo de eventos. Fue uno de los discos destacados de la primera mitad de la década del nuevo siglo, todavía buscando su identidad y que ayudo a alegrar nuestros oídos en una época en donde el panorama era algo aburrido y plano, no por nada fue que el disco alcanzó tales cotas y los posicionó como una de las bandas a seguir durante la década pasada.

The Last Broadcast Track List:

1. Intro

2. Words

3. There Goes The Fear

4. M62 Song

5. Where We're Callling From

6. N.Y.

7. Satellites

8. Friday's Dust

9. Pounding

10. Last Broadcast

11. The Sulphur Man

12. Caught By The River

Primicia: Broken Eyes

        

La banda Británica Doves estrena nuevo single "Broken Eyes" en donde el pasado persigue a la banda en el futura gracias a las visuales en el clip a cargo de Colin Read, el single se extrae del nuevo disco "The Universal Want" que fue lanzado ayer y que contiene un crisol de sonidos y samples para deleitar al oyente, sobre el tema, sin duda es uno de los mejores y más movidos que le hemos escuchado a grupo, con buenos arreglos, la guitarra con ese sonido jangle, las vocales y las orquestaciones hacen del mismo uno de los mejores temas del momento. 

Primicia: Cathedrals Of The Mind

         

Nuevo single a cargo de la banda Británica Doves, se trata del tema "Cathedrals Of The Mind" un poco largo pero bastante bueno y con un video muy alucinante demostrando que la calidad de esta banda sigue intacta, al menos no estan haciendo pasar un poquito mejor este terrible 2020, el track se desprende de su nuevo disco "The Universal Want" que esta próximo a salir. 

Primicia: Prisoners

         

La banda Británica Doves estrena el nuevo corte que se desprende de "The Universal Want" su nuevo álbum pendiente de confirmar fecha de lanzamiento, de momento nos devuelven a mediados de los 00's cuando la banda nos dejaba buen sabor de boca gracias a sus primeras entregas, ya que "Prisoners" tiene mucho de ese viejo sonido de la banda, ademas el clip dirigido por BWTV tiene algo de aquellos videos tomados de escenas de los años 70's lleno de imágenes universales.

Primicia: Carousels

        

Vuelve la recordada banda Británica Doves con este nuevo single "Carousels" en su habitual sonido y con un video a cargo Yoni Weisberg en donde salen simulando la construcción de edificios, parques y laberintos.