Doves

by Daniel N. Alvarez • April 10, 2009

Doves
Kingdom of Rust
(Astralwerks/Heavenly, 2009)

With an American music public afflicted with mass download-driven auditory ADD, it has never been harder for artists to naturally evolve while staying relevant. Over the last five years alone, there have been a litany of bands that exploded in America, but were quickly rendered culturally obsolete by either a minor stylistic change (see: Panic at the Disco, the Killers) or, god forbid, a sophomore disc audacious enough to not feature a bona fide hit single that the masses could instantaneously program into their cell phone (see: Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys).

Granted, the fact that people like Brandon Flowers are having a harder time reaching "Bono status" isn't going to keep me up at night. However, not all bands release their best work early in their career, and I am worried that an increasingly myopic general public will lead to record labels and promoters hastily freezing out some great bands that just need a little time to grow into themselves.

That said, there is always hope, which brings us to the Manchester-based trio, Doves.

Their newest release, Kingdom of Rust, would be my biggest argument for why record labels must give their bands time to grow. Their debut, 2000's Lost Souls, was lauded by critics and fans alike and showed flashes of brilliance, namely in the majestic, sweeping melodies of songs like "Catch the Sun" and "The Man Who Told Everything." Their next two albums were not quite as successful stateside, but their continued instrumental experimentation and improved songwriting saw the band build a steady, loyal American fanbase.

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