Doves have barely put a foot wrong over the course of their career. ‘Sturdy’ is a word that best sums up the Mancunian trio’s fourth album. Before its release, there had been speculation that Kingdom Of Rust would see Doves deviate from their distinctive, indie-rock sound. But apart from the Hacienda Club-style beats on the Jez Williams-sung ‘Jetstream’ and the funky, danceable ebb of ‘Compulsion’, there’s no huge transformation here.
There are driving, crash-bang-wallop numbers (‘The Outsiders’), cinematic interludes with tinges of dark country (the title-track) and haunting, multi-layered numbers that are especially heavy on mood (‘Birds Flew Backwards’). The impeccable production helps too – particularly on album standout ‘10:03’, a song that begins as a slow-building ballad before unleashing a torrent of spacey drumbeats and surging guitars.
Kingdom Of Rust is best described as a consistently good album that’s sometimes even beautiful – but only in flashes.

Key Track: ‘10:03’