Doves - 'Kingdom Of Rust'
Last November, I was interviewing Elbow in a pub in Truro, and made a crack about their underdog status, which had recently been dealt a severe blow by the winning of the Mercury Award. I asked if they now had to hand it on to Doves, and Guy Garvey told me he'd heard their new material, and they really wouldn't need it.
What he said was "Doves have been busy reinventing the wheel", which doesn't actually mean what he thought it meant, unless he was trying to say they're wasting their time, but you get the idea.
"Hold your fire!", shouts Field-Marshall Garvey, "this bird is made of far tougher stuff than we could ever have dreamed of. Look at her fly, by Jove!"
So, here it is, the reinvented wheel. The question is, does it work?
(. Life On Mars, anyone?)
And the answer is...it depends. For starters, this isn't a massive leap forward in sound. It's the same basic bass-heavy, tinkly, orchestrated folk-pop the band made their name with. It's got the basic backbeat of 'There Goes The Fear', the tinkling melodies of 'Words' and the doomy, dark romance of 'The Cedar Room'. Or, for our younger readers, picture the Last Shadow Puppets having uncles who spend a lot of time in the library reading heavy Russian novels. That's Doves.
On the other hand, there's a swooping romance to their sound, a skip to their step and each chord change will hit you like a punch in the feelings if you're in the right frame of mind. Jimi Goodwin has a strange voice, a kind of mellow moo which can either sound downbeat and broken or downbeat and defiant. Either way, there's more emotion there than you'd think, and Doves songs (when they're good) do have a way of sweeping you up in their wake.
And this is a good one, even though it sounds like a lot of their other ones.
Maybe Guy was bang on the money with that reinvented wheel thing after all...
Download: Out now
CD Released: March 30th
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comment number 1.
At 25th Mar 2009, Maddog wrote:kingdom of rust is amazing! if you watch the video, it tells a story, one of the most underrated bands on the planet!
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Comment number 2.
At 25th Mar 2009, spirit wrote:DOVES ...... one of only two acts to feature in the lyrics of the song TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS to have a uk number 1 album !
Can anyone name the other ?
This song is majestically brooding like most of their stuff. I like the plot reveal at the end of the video.
My favourite DOVES track would have to be POUNDING ..... BRILLIANT.
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Comment number 3.
At 25th Mar 2009, CurtainJerker wrote:Oh, I know this one, I know this one!
It's the Maids A-Milking, right?
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Comment number 4.
At 25th Mar 2009, catman231 wrote:reminds me of the Good, the Bad, and the queen, although that may just be cause of the 'kingdom of doom'! either way, love the song, a very moody yet epic feel to it
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Comment number 5.
At 25th Mar 2009, spirit wrote:Yo hello curtains !!
MAIDS A MILKING were indeed a great band , albeit unknown to many !
The answer is quite obvious ... hope you can get it before THE MASTER..... CHART BLOG STARRING FRASER MCALPINE gets it ..........
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Comment number 6.
At 26th Mar 2009, thranjax wrote:er.. the partridge family?
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Comment number 7.
At 26th Mar 2009, spirit wrote:Its good but its not right.... come on you lot you will kick yourselves.......
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Comment number 8.
At 26th Mar 2009, Vicki wrote:Lords? Is it Lords? They're a band. But quite a small one. My mate put them on once. TRUE STORY.
Fraser's away for a few days, otherwise I'm sure he'd be on here making us all feel shameful that we haven't got it!
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Comment number 9.
At 26th Mar 2009, CurtainJerker wrote:"Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!"
Got to say, none of these are ringing a bell.
The Calling had a number 2 album, and The Byrds had a number 7 album. That averages out at 5, which is the best I can do for you.
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Comment number 10.
At 26th Mar 2009, spirit wrote:OH WELL DONE CURTAINS !
FIVE had a number 1 album in 1998 with their debut album !!!
CHEERS !!!
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Comment number 11.
At 26th Mar 2009, spirit wrote:OH NO !!
How are we gonna get by without CHARTBLOG FEATURING / STARRING / VERSUS /INTRODUCING FRASER MCALPINE ?
WHENS HE BACK ?
(this message was sponsored by RADIO 1 STARRING FRASER MCALPINE ) lol
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Comment number 12.
At 8th Apr 2009, spirit wrote:DOVES kingdom of rust TO BE A NUMBER ONE ALBUM !!
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