(photo: doves.net)

As strong as Doves‘ singles have always been, their albums sometimes fail to keep the listeners attention all the way through.  I say this with the deepest of respect and sincerity; my favourite song of the last 10 years hands down is “there Goes The Fear” from their exceptional second album, The Last Broadcast.  I count the album among my favourites, too, but about midway through, it does become a bit repetitive and tracks lose some distinction from one to the next.  Their last album Some Cities also started strong and then lost momentum as it reached the conclusion.  Even so, there’s no denying that Doves are dazzling when they are on form, and still pretty remarkable when they’re venturing into album filler territory.

So along comes album four, Kingdom of Rust, and anticipation and expectations are running high.  Straight out of the gate, things are bloody fantastic.  “Jetstream” sounds like the boys have been listening to their New Order records, propelling this stab at sound-tracking Blade Runner into the stratosphere.  “Kingdom of Rust” gallops along sounding epic and panoramic, with all the Doves trademark sounds effects just bubbling up below the surface.  So far, so Doves.

What happens next, though, is totally unexpected.  “The Outsiders” kicks into high gear and revs things up, pushing Kingdom of Rust into a harder rock sound than we’ve ever heard from Doves before.  Add to the tough as nails rhythm section are flourishes of moog keyboards and, at under three and a half minutes, you have one of the tightest tracks in Doves’ career.  The gorgeous “10:03″ starts off as a lovely, lilting ballad before spiralling into a psychedelic epic, much the same way “There Goes The Fear” allowed its momentum to carry it to it’s unexpected conclusion.  It’s euphoric, intoxicating and the first real point in the album you’ll be tempted to hit the repeat button.  All the way through to album’s 11 tracks, Doves twist and turn their trademark sound inside out and discover new ways to present what has essentially been a winning formula.  They sound invigorated, alive and loving what they do, and their joy and enthusiasm is contagious.  So far, so not what you’d expect, but so very welcomed.

Doves have clearly discovered an added dimension to their already vast musical arsenal, incorporating elements from their dance days as Sub Sub, and all the best bits of the last three albums to deliver the finest album of their career to date.  From start to finish their is enough variety in tempo, and mood to keep the listener interested.  Kingdom of Rust manages to live up to and defy all expectations at once.

MP3: Doves “Jetstream”
Video: Doves “Kingdom of Rust”
Myspace: Doves
Buy: Doves Kingdom of Rust