The recent return of Doves for a charity gig prior to this pandemic seemed like a one-off event, the kind of thing that shouldn't have surprised anyone, despite the band's lengthy break from the public eye. So I can't speak for everyone, but the announcement of a new Doves album this year felt fairly monumental, and a legitimate surprise. The Universal Want, out tomorrow, is here and it feels as if the band's never been gone. I suppose one could read that as a knock on this brand of British rock, but it is, of course, a bit of reassuring news, proof that some good things never quite go away.
The semi-soaring "Carousels" launches the record, even as "I Will Not Hide" and "Broken Eyes" both have far more obvious charms. These are nimble numbers, and fairly intimate ones despite the meaty riffs. "For Tomorrow", for instance, finds the musicians using what sounds like an old Isaac Hayes guitar-hook to anchor a composition that's nearly twang-y in the way it ambles forward. These are simple tunes, but there's a bigness here that takes me back to hearing this band for the first time so many years ago. And throughout The Universal Want one sort of marvels at how easily these guys are back at it, and with such success.
The elegiac "Cathedrals of the Mind" might be the best song here. It's not got the force of a single like "Prisoners", but it's got nuance and emotion. And that's the real dichotomy of The Universal Want and the music of Doves in general, that old push and pull between accessibility and complexity. Doves have largely mastered that, as well as made clear nearly two decades ago, and again here, just how much new juice is in this form. In the ashes of Britpop, they went further back for guidance, to the peak years of New Order, hometown peers, and geniuses of how to move from the dance world to the rock one without losing your power to swing and captivate. And this record, routine as it is during its second half, still somehow exerts a real hold on those hearing it.
Even in a few slow moments here on The Universal Want a listener still marvels at how easily this band can make the familiar feel fiery, and God bless them for doing it again in this plague-year. Whatever dark currents propel some of this, there's real hope lurking in some of the hooks here, and when Doves allow the songs to break out into the sun, any listener, new or old of vintage, is pulled in again. In that sense, The Universal Want is one of this band's best, most straightforward records to date.
The Universal Want is out everywhere on Friday.
More details on Doves via the band's official Facebook page, or their official website.
[Photo: Doves]