For a guy who grew up being obsessed with A Flock Of Seagulls, it’s with mixed emotions I have taken yet another bird band under my wings. But Manchester’s Doves are becoming one of my absolute favourite bands and my expectations on their third album “Some Cities” were extremely high, maybe too high. The new album is slower, more laid back than the previous two and lacks the kind of majestic grinding tunes like their debut EP Cedar Room or distinct pop songs like Your Shadow (Lost Sides), Caught By The River from The Last Broadcast or Catch the sun from Lost Souls. But it’s a strong album nonetheless which definitely grows on you. The first single to come off the album, Black & White Town, is Doves at their best and several other songs like Sky Starts Falling are certainly up to scratch with their best work. Some compare the album with Oasis, which I think is way off the mark. Had Oasis managed to put out an album of this quality they might still be slightly interesting. “Some Cities” jumped right into the number one spot on the UK album chart this week and rightfully so, I strongly recommend it. My grade: 4/5.
