Doves in session tonight – first broadcast on BBC 6 Music a few weeks ago and then rebroadcast by BBC Scotland a few days after that.
Doves at Maida Vale, impressive as ever. Recorded on January 15th of this year to coincide with the release of their latest album “Constellations For The Lonely”. Enthusiastic reception and stunning reviews. Like this one from Kelly Scanlon at Far Out Magazine, which was published just a few weeks ago.
“We were staring down the abyss,” Doves‘ Jez Williams recently explained to Far Out. The period of uncertainty that followed their 2021 tour cancellation ushered everybody into darkness before the Williams brothers began working on new material, forming the basis of what would eventually become Constellations For The Lonely. “This picture started to emerge, and we thought, ‘There might be a way through this,’” Jez recalled.
This organic delicacy is what immediately gives the record its sentimental charm, compounded by something inexplicably heady, perhaps the melancholic undertones that came with a slightly fractured dynamic following Jimi Goodwin’s prioritisation of mental health and recovery from substance abuse. But this feels less weighed down by the sudden turn and more authentic in its flaws, even from the first track, ‘Renegade’, which came together more as a tester than anything final.
Because of this, among many other reasons, the record feels more open and stripped-back, even when the sounds erupt into explosive indie-rock soundscapes and the vocals turn soaring, and especially when the slow embers suddenly veer towards something more engulfed in Doves’ signature anthemic flames. And that’s precisely what makes the more tender moments, like ‘Strange Weather’ and ‘A Drop In The Ocean’, feel more poignant—like a presentation of Dove’s most vulnerable chapter, ready to be handled with care and embraced with passion.”
I would gladly trade in my entire nervous system for a review like this. Golden is a word that comes to mind.
But Doves are a very special band and reviews like this only offer further proof Doves have a legacy and fans.
Press play and get introduced if you aren’t already.
(Special thanks to Far Out for the stellar review – their whole magazine is like this – check them out).
