Doves have re-emerged after 11 years to release their album “The Universal Want”. In anticipation of the album release they shared a string of videos.

The feel of the album is still that of what we’ve come to know, or even expect, from Doves. Yes, some of the songs have a certain feel of a mix from Lost Souls or even The Last Broadcast and in others you can feel a touch of Kingdom Of Rust, but be sure that this is Doves moving forward. This is Doves in 2020. If you’ve been a fan from the first time you heard the chords of Firesuite or you’re just coming aboard it makes no difference because the journey of the album is still the same.

Track listing for the album:

  1. Carousels
  2. I Will Not Hide
  3. Broken Eyes
  4. For Tomorrow
  5. Cathedrals Of The Mind
  6. Prisoners
  7. Cycle Of Hurt
  8. Mother Silver Lake
  9. Universal Want
  10. Forest House

Here’s the animated video for “Carousels” by Yoni Weisberg.

Thru a statement Andy Williams said: “It’s a reminiscence of the times that we’d go to places like North Wales on holiday as kids. Places where you had your first experience of sound systems and music being played really loud.”

Their last album was 2009 “Kingdom of Rust” before their hiatus that saw Jimi Goodwin release a solo album and bandmates Jez and Andy Williams release an album under Black Rivers.

Their 2nd video was for the gorgeous sounding ‘Prisoners’.

“‘Prisoners’ is about that yearning that Doves have always had,” said Goodwin. “Just over the horizon, there’s always something better. Sometimes we get trapped by our own behaviour. You can be a prisoner of your own thoughts. They can take you to some pretty dark and unexpected places if you let them. It’s a song about checking yourself. It’s not to do with lockdown or the pandemic, it’s just the day to day wellbeing. A lot of Doves lyrics are shot through with that notion of having a word with yourself.”

The 3rd video released in anticipation for the album was for ‘Cathedrals of the Mind’.

“It was important, as it has been and will be for Doves. We’re always looking under rocks to see what’s there,” Jez Williams said. “Can we walk through that door? Does this sound reflect what’s now and who we are? How will it make other people feel, to be made to care?” As for the song’s spoken word middle section — a found recording of a speech by a member of the Black Panthers — Williams said, “We just stumbled upon this beautiful speech that really moved us. The determination and heartfelt cry for justice, especially echoing through the times we’re living through, it resonated.” He continued, “His lyrics connect to our lyrics in the song in a kinda ‘the theory of everything’ way, so we felt it fitted perfectly. A speech can have not just one meaning, but two, three or four meanings. That is, if you listen real close. Much like a song.”

With the actual release of the album came the release of the 4th video for the song ‘Broken Eyes’.

“These songs are a timestamp of where our heads are at at the moment. I think it’s still got that yearning that all Doves songs have got. I was trying to tap into a balearic, summer yearning. I also thought there was a lot of self-help in these lyrics, especially on songs like ‘Cycle Of Hurt’ and ‘Prisoners’. There’s a lot more tapping into mental health issues.” Jez Williams added: “It feels like a bit of healthy therapy. We’ve not had the pleasure of playing it live where people sing it back to you, but I imagine that will be a pretty cool moment – if it ever fucking happens!”