The past chases Doves into the future with the release of visuals for new single, Broken Eyes, shared to coincide with the release of their fifth album. ‘The Universal Want’ is out now via IMPERIAL (US) + EMI (UK). 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. Watch the video clip for Broken Eyes via YouTube below.
Shattering preconceptions with a succession of tracks that have crackled with a sense of restless experimentation, latest single Broken Eyes is a guitar-driven epic that goes back to their first session as a revived creative force 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. It 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.
“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.”
“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.”
‘The Universal Want’ has earned critical praise spanning Pitchfork, Stereogum, Rolling Stone, BrooklynVegan, Paste Magazine, NPR, SPIN, Under The Radar, CLASH, Uncut and beyond as well as radio airplay with Sirius XMU, KCRW, WXPN, KEXP, WXRT, WFUV + more. ‘The Universal Want’ will be released in multiple, special edition formats including a limited run of coloured vinyl and a sought-after box set, comprising the album on vinyl and cassette, a limited-edition Remix LP, postcards and signed prints. 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 long-time collaborator, Dan Austin.
Bowled over by the overwhelming, international response to their ambitious yet ‘instant classic’ new tracks, the legendary UK trio will take their sweeping, emotive live experience on a 17-date UK jaunt in 2021. Tickets are available here. The band looks forward to touring the US, stating: “We’re truly knocked out with the amazing support for the new album from everyone Stateside and we’re looking forward to getting over to play live for you as soon as the current situation allows.”
Turning the page onto the next chapter of a three-decade career, ‘The Universal Want’ follows the Mercury-nominated albums, ‘Lost Souls’ (2000) and ‘The Last Broadcast’ (2002), their second, successive UK Number One album, ‘Some Cities’ (2005) and ‘Kingdom Of Rust’ (2009).
