Orchestral Manoeuvres in the (Dark) North (Some Cities - Doves)

Member Name: marandina

Product:	Some Cities - Doves
Date:	11/03/06 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sprawling, moody set

Disadvantages: Some many consider it too downbeat

I’d wanted to try some material by the Doves for ages when I recently stumbled upon an offer I just couldn’t refuse at Tesco, I finally took the plunge and purchased “Some Cities”. I’d taken the advice of a good friend and prominent Dooyoo writer at last in doing so. “Some Cities” is the follow up to “The Last Broadcast” released on Capitol/Heavenly records.

The Doves is a 3-piece band made up of Jez Williams (guitar), Jimi Goodwin (vocals and bass guitar) and Andy Williams (drums). Drawing comparisons with the likes of Radiohead, the Verve, and Ocean Colour Scene, Doves are best-known for their club smash "Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)." The band made its debut in 1998 with the Cedar EP, quickly selling out the record's limited pressing. "Sea Song" followed in 1999 leading to the group signing for the Heavenly label. Also linking up with Astralwerks in 2000, the band's first full-length effort, "Lost Souls", was released in the U.S. that October. By 2001, they'd moved to Capitol Records in the States and prepared for a second album. Two sold-out American tours and five recording studios later, Doves emerged with the song "There Goes the Fear" from their forthcoming second album, "The Last Broadcast", in spring 2002. The album debuted at number one on the UK charts. The band also embarked on a North American tour the same week their album hit U.S. stores. Formerly known as Sub Sub, Manchester’s Doves also get categorised in with brit-rock acts like Coldplay and acts like Starsailor although my own closest comparison would be somewhere between the melancholia of Morrissey and the dramatic, pop depression of a latter day Echo and The Bunnymen (who are still going strong today).

“Some Cities” builds on the Doves significant success to date with an album that’s diverse and traverses a wide range of the musical spectrum. From anthems to ballads, from upbeat pop to downbeat strains, this album takes the listener on an introverted journey into the minds of the band. The album has some brilliant tracks mainly loaded into the front few songs but it also manages a strong finish with the slightly weaker tracks sandwiched in between.

Album opener "Some Cities" the track is the band attempting to come to terms with the changes in their hometowns after returning from a two year tour of the world. With a wonderfully discordant intro backed by tambourine and drums, “Some Cities” is a light, guitar-bouncing lament very much in the Echo and the Bunnymen mould of “Porcupine” from years gone by. “Too much history coming down/Another building brought to the ground/Roads that come together/My memory never severs/The love’ll never sever me.”

"Black and White Town," the first single from the album is a disco-surf/art-pop offering anchored by a melodic chorus replete with simple harmonies. Jimi Goodwin has a real air of reflective melodrama through much of his vocals although this particular track treads a higher path than many of the other tracks on the CD. In many ways, “Black and White Town” sums up the general mood of what’s to come with an economy of lyrics saying so much. This is an album about the transitory nature of life. From the title you’d expect it to be a commentary on the physical changes to the cityscape of the North whilst Goodwin spends most of his time lamenting what’s gone before and what’s to come. “In satellite towns/There’s no colour and no sound/I’ll be ten feet underground/Gotta get out of this satellite town.”

“Snowden” is a change in direction as the band takes a more expansive view through a wonderfully orchestral, sprawling piece. Probably the strongest track on the album, Goodwin’s vocals are imploring with a haunting, jingling melody to transport the listener to a different time and place. “I said man can you help me out?/Bring me back to love/Bring me back to life.”

“Shadows of Salford” opens with a down-beat piano intro that could be straight of “Union City Blues” by Blondie. Goodwin drones with a feedback, blurred vocal. Pensive tones and a thoughtful tune takes the album to the brink of concept as yet another track reflects the bleak, Northern urban scape.

"Almost Forgot Myself," opens with the a similar bassline to Van Morrison's "Wild Night." A stunning ballad with a haunting melody and a taunting guitar line, this is a song that manages to have a credible “la la la” intertwined with a moody set of lyrics. In a similar vein, "The Storm"," (a collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto) features wonderful cinematic strings and a nattily observed mouth organ. Soulful, slow and winding “The Storm” Goodwin sings over a string section that begs a comparison with John Lennon. With strings being dissected and a gentle electro back up, this sound broods and chimes simultaneously. "To weather the storm/Up on your feet again/If it all comes down/Would you still call this the end?"

"Walk in Fire" could be U2 in acoustic set. With a twinkling guitar line, a rhythmic, country sound and imploring lyrics from Goodwin, this is another haunting, melodramatic anthem backed by an orchestral feel to the whole escapade. The album closes with “Ambition”. The producers clearly decided not to finish the album with anything significantly upbeat as this track is probably the slowest and most introverted of the whole set. “So ambition cut you down/Ain’t a love as perfect/Everybody knows it”. “Ambition” is almost an afterthought as it floats of into the distance and the album closes with the listener reminiscing over orchestral manoeuvres and haunting melodies.

The other tracks on the album include “One of These Days”, “Someday Soon” and “Sky Starts Falling” all of which should be listened to and judged on their merits (please note the fabulous intro on “Sky Starts Falling”).

“Some Cities” benefits from repeated listening as each time you venture into the 11-track set, you’ll find something different. The differences in mood might be explained by the fact that the album was recorded in Rockport, Manchester, Parr Street studios, Liverpool, various locations in London and near Loch Ness. Doves balance their trade mark layered guitar attack with light folksy sounds that will appeal to a wide audience. In essence, the Doves have an indie sound with its own meandering and from anthem to ballad, strident guitars to orchestral manoeuvres, “Some Cities” is a haunting homage to the suburbs of today. Somewhere within is a desperate desire to escape everything; maybe that says something about all of our own latent desires.“Some Cities” is a beautiful, moving piece of music that will appeal to most music fans in general, fans of indie rock and anyone wanting to build on the Doves current discography.

Highly recommended.

Thanks for reading

Mara

I bought this for £2.79 but if you can’t find that then you could shop around online. Amazon are advertising the album from £5.97

More info about Doves at: www.doves.net

Summary: Write up of the album