The past chases Doves into the future with the release of visuals for new single, Broken Eyes, in the week their acclaimed, fifth album, The Universal Want, lands with fans after a wait of eleven years. Shattering preconceptions with a succession of tracks that have crackled with a sense of restless experimentation, Broken Eyes finds the Manchester three-piece play to the stalls with a guitar-driven, future live favourite that goes back to their first session as a revived creative force.
After a text turned into a phone call, the phone call was followed by lunch, followed by an impromptu jam in a rented Peak District cottage, Doves fell back into artistic formation all the way back in 2017. If The Universal Want is the sound of a band clicking determinedly back into place with nothing to prove, then Broken Eyes is the epitome of Jimi Goodwin, Andy and Jez William’s new approach of leaving nothing off the table, playing from the soul and taking the road that feels right.
“We nailed it amidst the enthusiasm of first playing together again,” says Andy Williams. “You can overthink and overcomplicate things, but sometimes need to step back and say ‘that’s the heart of the song, right there.’ The rest of ‘The Universal Want’ has got more eclectic and allows a song as immediate as ‘Broken Eyes’ to be on there.”
Samples, spoken word, acid house breakdowns, lush orchestration and guitars pushed to find new purpose make The Universal Want a listening experience of welcome depth, the threads of each of the three band member’s artistry woven to a satisfyingly complex tapestry. Yet, Broken Eyes stands out for its unobscured immediacy, building from the bones of Doves as a stately three-piece to peak in swathes of jangle guitar, vocal incantations and orchestral strings.
“It’s like a Ray Davies tune,” says Jimi Goodwin. “Our version of something from ‘The Village Green Preservation Society’, but the four-chord cycle also goes back to our beginnings and ‘Catch The Sun’. It’s a bittersweet song, connecting with the way we perceive people, but also ourselves and our anxieties.”
Watch the video for ‘Broken Eyes’ – BELOW:
It was back in July that Doves confirmed rumours that their fifth album, The Universal Want, existed and would finally be released in full. Born during nascent sessions in the beautiful hills of Derbyshire three years ago, then refined in studios in Greater Manchester, the Cotswolds and their own Frank Bough Sound III Studios in Cheshire, Doves largely self-produced their fifth long-player, with support to realise seven of the ten tracks coming from a long-time collaborator, Dan Austin.
Last month, Doves announced a run of 17 UK & Ireland tour dates, including a rapidly SOLD-OUT emotional homecoming at Manchester’s O2 Apollo, plus additional dates at both the O2 Academy Brixton and Glasgow Barrowland to keep up with demand. With limited tickets remaining, The Universal Want UK & Ireland Tour dates are as follows:
• Sun 21 Mar Cardiff, University Great Hall
• Mon 22 Mar Bournemouth, O2 Academy
• Tue 23 Mar Norwich, UEA
• Thu 25 Mar Brighton, Brighton Dome
• Fri 26 Mar London, O2 Academy Brixton
• Sat 27 Mar London, O2 Academy Brixton
• Mon 29 Mar Bristol, O2 Academy
• Tue 30 Mar Birmingham, O2 Academy
• Thu 1 Apr Manchester, O2 Apollo – SOLD OUT
• Fri 2 Apr Nottingham, Rock City
• Sat 3 Apr Newcastle, O2 Academy
• Mon 5 Apr Liverpool, Eventim Olympia
• Tue 6 Apr Dublin, Olympia
• Wed 7 Apr Belfast, Limelight
• Fri 9 Apr Sheffield, O2 Academy
• Sat 10 Apr Glasgow, Barrowland – SOLD OUT
• Sat 11 Apr Glasgow, Barrowland
The Universal Want is released on limited, coloured vinyl editions, CD and digital formats, as well as a special-edition box set. Visit www.dovesofficial.com for information on all available Doves releases as well as live dates.
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