Doves SIXTH album Constellations For The Lonely is out now! And we have the full lowdown…
CONSTELLATIONS FOR THE LONELY
In total, the album features ten tracks of enkindled, future-facing, meticulous manipulation of mood; including singles Renegade, Cold Dreaming, Saint Teresa, and A Drop In The Ocean.
“Loads of artists that have been around for years are making music as good as they ever did,” says Jimi.
With us, it’s a matter of chemistry. For all the things that we wind each other up about, the love’s there.
It’s a welcome return for the Manchester geniuses – and we have an exclusive interview with drummer Andy Williams, coming this week! It will be the second time we’ve interviewed the band, check out our last chat with Jez back in 2020: AN INTERVIEW WITH JEZ WILLIAMS
RENEGADE
The opening track Renegade was released at the end of 2024 and continued to show the influence cult classic 1982 film Blade Runner has had on the band’s sound, of late. Andy, who sings and co-wrote the track, says:
“Looking at everyone’s lives over recent years, and considering the news at the moment, Renegade feels a lot more loaded in retrospect. We wanted to go for a dystopian feel, thinking about Manchester itself over the next century or so.”
A totally imaginary thing… ‘Blade Runner’ set in our home city.
The same can be said for the haunting Strange Weather. And the late, great, David Lynch would be the perfect man to direct a promo for Last Year’s Man.
IN THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE
This song produces an image of a low, hot sun reflecting on water, with summer vibes the same way as Almost Forgot Myself did on 2005’s Some Cities. The guitar sounding like sitar sounds from The Beatles. But don’t rest on your laurels, this is a tale of deception…
A DROP IN THE OCEAN
Finding new ways of writing and recording for the album, this song finds the three-piece at their adaptive, collaborative best.
Jez Williams says: “I brought the music but Jimi completely did the verses. I knew he had it in him…”
He’s a great lyricist, the real deal.
Jez continues: “The song lit him up when he heard it, you could really see it. We all remember that moment.”
SAINT THERESA
Initially generated by a late-night internet search by Goodwin, Saint Teresa finds Doves turning to the enigmas of religious history and bringing the story of Teresa of Ávila to their songbook. The 16th Century Spanish nun and reformer caught the band’s imagination after discovering that her burial, pre-canonisation, was interrupted. Numerous body parts were removed and taken to locations in Rome, Paris, Lisbon and elsewhere.
Goodwin says: “By keeping it to one side, we were able to reappraise it and make it better. Andy and Jez helped out with it and it’s great that it’s found a home. My Catholicism went out of the window years ago, but I love the iconography associated with the church. They put on a really good show. I identify with it all from my childhood. The story of Saint Teresa is fascinating.”
“Sometimes songs can be like a Rubik’s Cube,” adds Jez. “You play with it but have to go back to it after a time and, only then, do you really know what to do with it. ‘Saint Teresa’ was still knocking on the door when we came to record the album, so we took it into sessions with Dan (Austin – co-producer), replacing some of it, changing a few of the lyrics and it turned out great.”
REVIEW
10/10
The band sound as fresh as ever and continue to develop and push boundaries with music that feels familiar but challenges you, educates and delights you in equal measure.
No matter how turbulent life can be, you know where you’re at with Doves. This is another masterpiece.
