Search - Doves :: Kingdom of Rust

Rock Solid A+ For Fans - New To Doves Start At Some Cities

Hovi | NJ USA | 04/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of Doves for quite some time.

Since the day in 2000, managing a music store, & coming upon the sublime cover of Lost Souls.

I looked at my associate Eric, & said should we give this one a go, & he nodded. Both of us were very happy we did play it & agreed there was just that something special about this band, that separated them from the rest.



Coming to this album I tried to leave my expectations in the backround.

As a matter of fact i've had the album now for a full week, & purposely put off listening to it, until I would have a good hour to just pop it on & really absorb the music.



I had heard the 2 lead tracks & both are vintage Doves sound.

I loved the fact that they pulled some influence back from their Sub-Sub days to lead off on the album. It sets the pace nicely.



What follows is a great adventure in sonic buildup & restraint.

This has the best flow from beginning to end of any of their albums to date.

This album forces patience, & never goes too far over the sonic line, & has you saying; "Why on earth did they do that?" Like for example on Snowden, that crunchy, & distorted guitar solo that brought the song down a notch. None of that on this record.

There is no over-experimentation. There is just enough to hold your attention.

You must listen & wait a bit before the treats come. When they do though,

they surprise, & set off those nice little tingles.

The rises & dips are akin to a ride on a smaller roller-coaster at a fair, as opposed to riding a huge one @ an expensive park.

You know lots of fun all the way through, & you have a big smile the entire time, as opposed to holding on for dear life exhilaration lol.



This album is also less layered, & seems to focus more on the natural settings of their studio.

Instead of using many digital effects to create a bliss feeling, as they have done in past recordings.

Because of this, the album is the warmest in feel of all their catalog to date.



Don't expect hits here. You will have to actually listen.

Every single track is solid.

This is one of those records that every great band makes sometime in their career that is really for the fans of that band, & not for huge public consumption. Some would say introspective, but I believe it is about the less is more philosophy that happens once a band matures & are comfortable in their own skin with being who they are.

I am just happy that Doves have worked to get to this point now.

I will probably find in later days I will listen to this one all the way through, whereas with other work from Doves, I have a set play-list from the previous albums.



Fans will absolutely love the personal & intimate feel of this record.

If you're new to the band, I would suggest starting @ Some Cities, or

The Last Broadcast, as you may not have the patience to listen through

& instead may just be looking for those few tracks that really reel you in.





"

Not their best, but typically solid Doves music

Brad | 04/08/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you're a fan of the Doves, you'll certainly enjoy Kingdom Of Rust and wear it out fast. While their songs are accessible and sound familiar, maybe too familiar at times, they are a band who require repeat listening for the music to really sink into your skin. It's important to let the songs grow on you and not rush to judgement, I've learned that much about them over the years.



There are no toss-out songs on this CD, and that's the good news. Much like "Some Cities," their musicianship, song writing and recording abilities have evolved to a state of comfort with a modern sound that is light years from their debut, "Lost Souls." (an indie classic in it's own right, but almost sounds like a different band with the same singer at this point)



The title track single is fantastic and most of us are already familiar with it (see video on Amazon page here - it's as good as anything they've ever done), and the rest of the album are full of good, but maybe too similar sounding tracks at times, other than House Of Mirrors with it's vague 60's psychedlia and danceable "Pounding-esque" beat.



They are still one of my favorites after this solid CD and they are even better live if you get a chance. It's refreshing for a band to put so much effort into their songs and production.



Finally the one thing this CD lacks are memorable hooks, and Williams' guitar work, only on the title track does it really stand out at all it seems. It's there, but buried at times behind all sorts of strings, synths, drums, bass and other various background noises that are all over every song. The sound is muddled at times and takes a while for your brain to wrap itself around it - not necessarily a bad thing mind you - but I'm ok with a less produced, guitar-centric sound because what these guys do best are write songs and play their instruments well.







"

A Diamond in the Rust

C. Farrell | 05/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kingdom exemplifies an absolutely special band in their prime. The (frequent) moments of brilliance from their first three albums culminate right here, right now. From the Pink Floydian rocker "Jetstream" to the goose-bump inducing title track, to the melodic beauty of "Winter Hill" and the all-out caress/assault of "10:03," to the Blondie-groove of "Compulsion" and beyond - flat out impressive.



It's always a shock when a band continues to put out good work after significant critical acclaim. The Doves took their time with this one, and they absolutely delivered. I had both high hopes and high expectations - this is a five star album through and through.



Look, the bottom line is you can't go wrong with this one. Enjoy and then pass along the recommendation to someone you love.

"