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Feb 27, 2025 Web Exclusive By Kyle Mullin

Fans of northwestern British band Doves—who were nominated twice for the coveted Mercury Prize in the early 2000s—are surely devastated by news of frontman Jimi Goodwin’s mental health issues recently sidelining him from their first performances since 2019. The silver lining: he sounds as strong as ever on Doves’ new LP, Constellations for the Lonely. What’s more, guitarist Jez Williams and his brother, drummer Andy Williams, hold their own as lead singers on many of these new songs.

All that is evident in the opening tracks. “Renegade” kicks the album off with the bristling static of guitar feedback, quickly juxtaposed with clearly chiming piano notes, before Goodwin’s voice resounds similarly to the latter, as he sings of hopes and dreams that have come crashing down, and doors that lead to permanent exits. When the entire band kicks in, their soaring and yearning melody is well suited indeed Goodwin’s deep, rugged, yet vulnerable delivery.

On the next track, “Cold Dreaming,” Jez and Andy Williams’ comparatively higher registers have a searing and slightly sneering quality. As background strings take flight and Jez’s guitar solo slices through more abrasively, but no less artfully, you’ll be reminded of Billy Corgan jigsawing drastically different elements in the best of The Smashing Pumpkins’ work.

Subsequent tracks “A Drop in the Ocean” and “In the Butterfly House” are equally arty, both because of the grandeur of the music and Goodwin’s speak-singing delivery, as if he hopes to ambitiously blend multiple mediums such as spoken word and indie rock.

Yes, this music is consistently atmospheric and adroit—be it the groaning heartfelt key notes on “Orlando,” evoking a church organ reverberating through on the fritz speakers, or the undulating guitars on “In the Butterfly House” mingling with some strums that sound exotic, such as a sitar. However, the contrasting styles between the Williams and Goodwin fronted tracks makes for no shortage of pleasant surprises. This is especially true of “Last Year’s Man,” on which the Williams brothers adopt first a Sinatra-esque, then an almost folk song singing tone, and even a harmonica lets lose—about as far from the cinematic indie rock sweep of “Renegade” as you can get.

As listeners wonder how the band’s range will next impress them throughout these accomplished 10 tracks, they’ll also yearn for Goodwin to recover so that all three members of Doves can take concertgoers on the eclectic journey that this album has to offer. (www.dovesofficial.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10