Doves

staffsblue said:
If anyone missed the 6Music Maida Vale session yesterday, it's 2 hours into the show. A very good interview with Jez and Andy too...

www.bbc.co.uk

Steve Lamacq - Doves in Session - BBC Sounds

Doves are in session from the BBC's Maida Vale studios.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...
That was a great interview. Thanks for the heads up to start at 2 hours in.

That's the first time I've heard Jez sing lead on "Renegade".

"Cold Dreaming" sounded very nice, and of course it is obvious that I'm a HUGE fan of the old song they did ;-), the first time hearing Jez lead that on vocals.

I enjoyed that guitar solo too, and I need to catch them live!

Steve Lamacq said it best at the end too: "still an emotional powerhouse of a band".
 
Doves have released their 4th single today: "A Drop In The Ocean"

Nice write-up in the below with a link to the song video. Jimi's vocals and bass on this track was quite welcome to hear, glad to read he wrote the verses too.

www.undertheradarmag.com

Doves Release New Single “A Drop in the Ocean”

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www.undertheradarmag.com www.undertheradarmag.com
 
Doves also headline Sunday 31 August at the Moseley Folk & Arts Festival.

The Waterboys headline Friday and Father John Misty on Saturday. Getting tempted...

moseleyfolk.co.uk

Moseley Folk & Arts Festival | 4-6th Sept 2026

Family-friendly Festival with a healthy mix of traditional, contemporary and experimental folk music. Nestled in the heart of the beautiful Moseley, Birmingham.
moseleyfolk.co.uk moseleyfolk.co.uk
 
Feels like an album polished in production but I just can't help this nagging feeling the Williams brothers might have rushed Jimi on this one. They've admitted on one of the singles they did vocals as he wasn't available and that's pretty obvious on the album (4/5 without JG I think). They've even said vocals weren't great from Jimi on Renegade too. I get they wanted to tour but think they maybe should have just gone out as Jez and Andy doing anniversary stuff for a year.
 
Manchester1894 said:
Feels like an album polished in production but I just can't help this nagging feeling the Williams brothers might have rushed Jimi on this one. They've admitted on one of the singles they did vocals as he wasn't available and that's pretty obvious on the album (4/5 without JG I think). They've even said vocals weren't great from Jimi on Renegade too. I get they wanted to tour but think they maybe should have just gone out as Jez and Andy doing anniversary stuff for a year.
Click to expand...
Not sure how you get 4/5 without JG as he's singing on 7 out 10 tracks, but that's just my maths.

I like Jimi's vocals on "Renegade" and I also think "Cold Dreaming" is a perfect Williams brothers lead vocals and harmonies there. In fact, I can't imagine that song done any other way.

I'm glad we have it and I've been impressed with the positive reviews for the album I've read from the critics thus far. I wasn't expecting THAT from them...

www.telegraph.co.uk

Twenty-five years since their debut, Doves have produced their masterpiece

A gorgeous, melancholic record about despair, hope and calm after the storm from the underrated rockers. Plus this week’s best new songs
www.telegraph.co.uk www.telegraph.co.uk

www.metacritic.com

Constellations For The Lonely by Doves

Constellations For The Lonely by Doves album reviews & Metacritic score: This is the first full-length studio release from British rock trio Doves since 2020's The Universal Want....
www.metacritic.com www.metacritic.com
 
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I've had the weekend to listen, and overall, I've been very happy with this album and the varied songs, and especially the flow of the songs.

Standouts to me of new songs not yet heard include "Strange Weather" and "Last Year's Man", in the album's middle. LYM especially had some nostalgic Doves melodies and had a "Lost Souls" vibe to it, as well as using the harmonica effectively.

But I know and I know, and I know and I know it's a game
This game we play
I'm trying to get through the day and feel no shame
I feel no shame​

The album ends well as "Orlando" as the penultimate track was a nice change-up song which really quieted things down and highlighted Jimi's vocal delivery among the quite synth and piano melodies to carry it along.

But I was not prepared for what is clearly my favourite, the stunning closer in "Southern Bell".

A quiet and inauspicious start, I wasn't sure where this was going, but the lyrics said it all:

Let's spend some time
In this fading light
My only friend
From the other side
​
The lyrics in capturing the album's theme was spot on, and I really liked the vocal transition from Jez to Jimi at 2:00 in. Just a brilliant and a powerful effect and closer once Jimi leads:

Wake up, it's morning
Are these our last days?
It takes strength
And courage just to die this way
And you'll never be alone again​

and then the band is harmonizing to the end:

Now you're here with me my friend
By facing the desert sun
And we'll go on
We'll go on forever

One last chance
Let's see this through
Catch that breeze in our hands
Where we'll it go?
We can't lose
Come on, let's take this chance
And you'll never be alone again
Now you're here with me my friend
By facing the fading light
And we'll go on
We'll go on forever more
​
Up until the haunting solo delivery on the ending:

And you'll never
Be alone
Again
​
A very personal and endearing album on perseverance. Thank you, Doves. The album title well captures the overall mood of this release as only this band could deliver.
 
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Two gigs at Factory International on Friday were ace. First one, sat upstairs, was too swanky but stood up in the stall was wonderful.

Doves without Jimi is like chips without peas or gravy, but on this showing, it works. Gladly so. Even without regular keyboardist Rebelski (touring with Hooky) it delivered well.

Superlative magnets galore. A range of the tried and tested mixed with future classics. Spoilt. Full of stars.

God knows it ain't easy
But I can't live my days in fear
Just give me hope so I can walk away

And they had the best poster campaign I've seen in years.
 
Loved it on Friday.

The acoustics in Aviva are brilliant. I went to watch the Brian Jonestown Massacre at Albert Hall a few weeks ago and with a band full of reverb and feedback, it was too echoey in AH, poor acoustics.

Aviva was the total opposite.

I was up in the posh comfy seats which felt like the Mestella it was so steep, but the sound was so good it felt like I was stageside.

681bc8af-33a4-4ad5-acf0-2a08491f6080.jpeg
 
Oystercatcher28 said:
Two gigs at Factory International on Friday were ace. First one, sat upstairs, was too swanky but stood up in the stall was wonderful.

Doves without Jimi is like chips without peas or gravy, but on this showing, it works. Gladly so. Even without regular keyboardist Rebelski (touring with Hooky) it delivered well.

Superlative magnets galore. A range of the tried and tested mixed with future classics. Spoilt. Full of stars.

God knows it ain't easy
But I can't live my days in fear
Just give me hope so I can walk away

And they had the best poster campaign I've seen in years.
Click to expand...
Shocked Martin hasn't toured. Very much the 4th member of Doves. Saw him solo at Chorlton Irish Club many years back. And knew he does a lot of side projects but going with Hooky over Doves is another blow. He joined them in the BBC Maida Vale session at least.

Jimi has done an interview recently here that's gone under the music press radar
thenewcue.substack.com

The New Cue #471 March 3: Jimi Goodwin of Doves

"Every time I make a record, someone extremely close to me dies."
thenewcue.substack.com thenewcue.substack.com

Heartbreaking read tbh... living from couch to couch, struggling with death of close ones, and the getting by day by day
He doesn't want to perform, and nor should he. But this might be a good time to call the curtain on Doves and let him live a life where a spotlight isn't shone on him every time the band tour or release stuff. The brothers could maybe tour under an amended title so it's clear it's not the full band. Many have done it in the past. I don't think personally the current tour warrants £40/50 tickets. Maybe about £30 would be fair.
 
Manchester1894 said:
Shocked Martin hasn't toured. Very much the 4th member of Doves. Saw him solo at Chorlton Irish Club many years back. And knew he does a lot of side projects but going with Hooky over Doves is another blow. He joined them in the BBC Maida Vale session at least.

Jimi has done an interview recently here that's gone under the music press radar
thenewcue.substack.com

The New Cue #471 March 3: Jimi Goodwin of Doves

"Every time I make a record, someone extremely close to me dies."
thenewcue.substack.com thenewcue.substack.com

Heartbreaking read tbh... living from couch to couch, struggling with death of close ones, and the getting by day by day
He doesn't want to perform, and nor should he. But this might be a good time to call the curtain on Doves and let him live a life where a spotlight isn't shone on him every time the band tour or release stuff. The brothers could maybe tour under an amended title so it's clear it's not the full band. Many have done it in the past. I don't think personally the current tour warrants £40/50 tickets. Maybe about £30 would be fair.
Click to expand...
I paid £35 or might have been £37 for mine on Friday, directly from Factory
 
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