Constellations For The Lonely

Sessions began at the band’s Frank Bough Sound III studio back in 2020, but, unfortunately, Doves were forced to leave the premises soon after.

Opening song and first single, the atmospheric ‘Renegade’, plunges us straight into familiar Doves territory – it’s a cinematic song that’s shrouded in rain-soaked, Northern melancholy.

Commenting on the track, the group’s drummer, vocalist and co-songwriter, Andy Williams, says: “We wanted to go for a dystopian feel – thinking about Manchester itself over the next century or so. It’s a totally imaginary thing… Blade Runner set in our home city.”

The moody soundtrack feel continues with ‘Cold Dreaming’, which sees Goodwin and guitarist Jez Williams sharing vocals, and was inspired by the psychedelic blues of Charles Stepney and David Axelrod’s experimental funk-soul. 

“Resilience is the thing that you need more than ever, certainly as a musician,” reflects Andy Williams, adding: “Perhaps the lyrics do touch a bit on what we’ve been through – it hasn’t been the easiest record to make, having to leave our studio in Hatton [Cheshire] was a kick in the nuts, but we really did get the wind in our sails at times.”

It certainly sounds like it – the wonderfully haunting and autumnal ‘Last Year’s Man’ is The Smiths’ ‘Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want’ if it had been arranged and produced by John Barry, ‘A Drop In The Ocean’ has a touch of The Cure’s ‘80s gloom-rock about it, and the lighter, soulful and funky vibe of ‘Stupid Schemes’ nods to the Isley Brothers and Curtis Mayfield – Goodwin says that the track started out as a jam in Gothenburg with members of the Swedish psych-rock band Dungen.

There are some lovely jazzy guitar lines on the wistful and pastoral ‘In The Butterfly House’, and ‘Strange Weather’ starts out stripped-back – an ethereal lullaby – but transforms into a superb and arresting mood piece, with a fuzzy bass groove, church-like organ and ghostly backing vocals.

Penultimate song, ‘Orlando’, is a fragile and fractured piano-led soundscape that was inspired by Wim Wenders’ neo-Western drama, Paris, Texas, and, rather nicely, 

The album comes to a spectacular end with the moody and filmic ‘Southern Bell’, which begins with Ennio Morricone-style, Spaghetti Western guitar and is partly set in the desert at night, in the light of a campfire.

“By the morning time, we’ll be gone from here – some blaze of glory – the last stand in our story,” sings Goodwin, as he and his partners ride off into the distance, and the track turns into a full-on, dramatic widescreen epic.

From its opening on the wet city streets of Manchester to its conclusion in the harsh desert heat, Constellations For The Lonely is an inspired and imaginative album that’s steeped in a love of great influences – be they cinematic or musical.

Let’s hope Goodwin returns to playing live with Doves soon – it’s great to have them back, and with a record that, like its predecessor, is up there with their best.

“Loads of artists that have been around for years are making music as good as they ever did,” muses Goodwin. “With us, it’s a matter of chemistry – for all the things that we wind each other up about, the love’s there.”

It sounds like Doves might have finally found their peace. 

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