Doves - Lost Souls

Remember Sub Sub who went top ten with Ain’t No Love as Melanie Williams belted out the song that stormed the charts, well the men behind this track were Jimi Goodwin and brothers Jez and Andy Williams and after this track we didn’t really hear from them again. Unluckily for the band on the Williams brother’s birthday their studio burned down and instead of packing it in they decided to start afresh as Doves.

Was this unlucky in the long run? Six albums, five of them top ten and three of these making number one, the re-branding is certainly a success.

Lost Souls was their debut, the one of the six that did not make the top ten but was nominated for the Mercury Prize, the band taking several years on the record and also realising they could make this record as a trio and all three could sing with Goodwin taking on the majority of the leads.

Instrumental opener Firesuite would not be out of place on Massive Attack’s Blue Lines and Here It Comes the piano leads us in and as the song whirls around, Andy Williams delivers the verses and Goodwin steps in for the chorus, it’s an intense listen, it never picks up but it doesn’t need to and Break Me Gently Goodwins distorted vocals do not let up the intensity.

Rise we have the distorted vocals back but this works in its favour where the chorus seems more euphoric which leads us into the shuffling title track which sadly for me goes on a bit too long and doesn’t really go anywhere.

Melody Calls is a catchy pop tune, the first throwaway moment on the record and a harmonica so yes I am on this one and then we have my first introduction to Doves the majestic Catch the Sun all swaggering guitars, powerful drums, the band, dare I say it rocking out, magnificent then, magnificent now.

The Man Who Told Everything is all acoustic with a strong vocal from Goodwin and then we move to the seven minute joy of The Cedar Room all three main men delivering “you could be sitting next to me and I wouldn’t know it,” is a great line and it doesn’t let up and doesn’t need to.

We end on A House reflective but a slight downbeat finish to an excellent debut, they gave us something solid and they were built to last.

8/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Catch The Sun