Kingdom Of Rust
(Re-posted, player removed)
Back in February news of a new Doves album began to circulate on the internet. “Great,” I thought, “another major label funded enterprise intended as a clever ploy to force people to part with their cash to fund an A&R’s new Saab”. The cynic within me cried out that this was Virgin’s attempt to cash in on “the Elbow effect” by releasing a similar album from a similarly eminently Mancunian band. The fact that a lengthy four year hiatus had stretched out since their last album seemed to confirm my suspicions.
I’m still not sure how accurate that assessment was, possibly the truth lies somewhere in the middle, as usual. However, as soon as I stopped speculating and started listening, any notion that these other factors mattered were ended. Corporate expediency or not, “Kingdom of Rust” is a ridiculously majestic album. Set opener “Jetstream” is the most epic curtain raiser I have heard since “Song For Clay (Disappear Here)” and is followed by one of the finest, and most underappreciated, singles of recent times; “Kingdom of Rust”. The song starts off lightly, drawing you in, withdrawing back and then, just as you start to believe that it’s a lost Jack Johnson b-side, that enormous chorus hits you, and from there on in, there’s no turning back; each song is as coarse and abrasive as major label indie with huge pop hooks will ever get.
Doves hardly make an effort to shake off Elbow referencing journos with the “Grounds For Divorce” echoing stomp of “House of Mirrors”, but it’s album closer “Lifelines” that really caught my attention. Lyrics like “Somebody’s giving in but I’m not/Somebody’s given in a lot of time/Somebody threw you a lifeline” set to guitars fascinatingly reminiscent of “Under The Bridge” combine to create an unbelievably potent slow burning pop song.
Majestic? This album may as well come with the Royal seal attached.
