06 Apr 09
Doves
(Wiki) | (Last.FM) | (Myspace)
Kingdom Of Rust
[April 6, 2009] | [Astralwerks]
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6.5/10
Are Doves not content with their reputation? Their work has always had lightheartedness embodied in it that we’re not seeing anymore. The atmospheric and aptly titled Lost Souls pushed Doves into a musical presence by combining light guitar with minimal electronic work. An innocuous album but a decent start nonetheless. From there came Some Cities which was bursting with pop-hooks, gentle arrangements, and unique melodic progressions. After which came The Last Broadcast that saw an indie-pop band playing with an alternative style as they developed their songs to go further than a circular verse-chorus-verse style into a stretched out musical journey. Though I could do without “M62”, their lazily uninspired rendition of King Crimson’s provocatively tamed “Moonchild”, The Last Broadcast’s hooks became less of a priority and while still there – they were more elusive, translucent, and subtle. It was a gem that was easy to miss. Now we’re onto Kingdom of Rust, which follows this pattern of becoming increasingly alternative and serious-minded.
Kingdom of Rust, rather than working around hooks, operates in musical buildups, subtle backdrops, and climatic moments. It’s inauspiciously daring for Doves, but the first two tracks are surprisingly palatable. Opener “Jetstream” keeps a steady quickened electronic cymbal beat maintained throughout the song while Williams, lead by drums, electronic work, and mesmerizing guitar chords, struts his voice confidently forward. Though the song truly doesn’t change much, it still manages to sound as though it’s dynamically on an uphill climb. Next song “Kingdom of Rust” is similar but takes moments to dip into a minimal hook until returning to the musical advance. This musical style fits into the Kingdom of Rust appositely, because Rust does not revolve around beautiful landscapes or happily falling in love. Rather, Kingdom of Rust fights against itself to deal with the rather natural, depressingly real truism that loss is a part of life – and yes, even part of love. “Kingdom of Rust” gripes “Oh god / It takes an ocean of trust / In this Kingdom of Rust.” The protagonist’s seemingly backwards flight towards the past finds himself crashing into waves of emotions yet still desperately moving against the tide. In this sense, a musical style that feels as though it is always on the move feels quite fitting.
Yet this formula can be as much a detriment regardless of how well it may or may not accommodate the lyrics. It’s an easy trap to fall into where musical creativity feels compromised in the name of apposition. Being as such, tracks in the latter half can trudge through in a dreary manner. All of the songs have their strengths but can also fall into mediocrity. “House of Mirrors” has powerful bass pumping that gives the song life – yet with a chorus that lacks the same excitement or energy, but it is fortunately rescued in the outward transition where an expertly driven guitar pushes it back into rhythm. “Spellbound” is one of the most engaging tracks on the latter half as its shoegaze qualities gives the track a rather mesmerizing feature.
Much like The Last Broadcast, it’s easy to miss Kingdom of Rust. Doves are proving themselves to be less and less accessible by the album. But while The Last Broadcast still maintained some buoyancy alongside its sad moments, Rust’s approach is more serious within its alternative and shoegaze outreaching. Unfortunately, as we see with so many bands, we’re shown where this musical style can shine and where it falters. “Winter Hill” is relatively lighter and rather charming, and though “10:03” initially is catchy – it quickly loses its appeal. The album never really finds itself on the same level as first its first two songs, “Jetstream” and “Kingdom of Rust”, after which is it easy to lose attention. Although the album moved in a different direction, it wouldn’t have hurt for Doves to give their older styles a little more exposure to keep interest. These tracks however are always on the move demanding their nuances attention which ultimately proves more tiresome than gratifying.
-Mark
