Doves

Ah, the third album. It gives such a freeing feeling, allowing you to escape from that sophomore curse and indulge again without the fear of people consistently comparing your new effort to that defining debut that made the world stand at attention. Doves indeed feel like a band having fun again on Some Cities, which feels like a sometimes successful amalgam of ideas found in their last two albums. Lead single, "Black and White Town” continues the tradition of strong, charging singles, with Jimi Goodwin’s unique chorus ringing out, but there are also songs that bring back memories of previous albums. This is especially found on the reverb drenched "Snowden”, which is reminiscent of the epic "The Cedar Room,” and the driving rock found on The Last Broadcast is best represented by "Sky Starts Falling.” Some would say that all this comparison to the earlier albums is probably not the best way to critique an album; that it should stand on its own two feet. But from their unique sound, defined through the earlier records, you definitely know this is a Doves record. And, yes, maybe consistency isn’t an admirable quality for a music group, but with such earlier artistic triumphs, it is here. Some Cities will not let any Doves fan down and, really, what’s so wrong with that?