Doves
The Last Broadcast
On Sale Now
For $13.28

"Seize the time / We don't mind if this don't last forever"

The Last Broadcast, the second album from Manchester, England's Doves, is all about the celebration of the present moment, as indicated by the above lyric from the albums' strongest song, "Pounding." Frontman Jimi Goodwin and brothers Jez and Andy Williams are practically brimming with joy for the sheer pleasure of being alive throughout the album's 12 tracks. Whereas 2000's debut album Lost Souls explored more introspective and esoteric imagery and sonic textures, The Last Broadcast is downright anthemic. These are songs to sing to at the top of your lungs on your way to work, songs to blast at a Fourth of July barbecue, songs to karaoke to even. This does not mean that Doves have lost the edginess that made Lost Souls so addictive and astounding. Rather, they have created a bigger and more adventurous sound, expanding their instrumental pallet to include brass on the Talk Talk-esque "Friday's Dust", glockenspiel on the astounding "Words", which features vocals from Jez Williams, and the wild Brazilian percussion on the album's first single, "There Goes the Fear."

Elsewhere, Doves throw in a perfect acoustic-driven closer with "Caught by the River", a gorgeous gospel-inspired epic called "Satellites", and an Oasis-style rocker in "N.Y." Only the merely good acoustic track "M62 Song", recorded under a flyover and based on King Crimson's "Moonchild", feels out of place following "There Goes the Fear": it would be better used as a B-side. This is a mild complaint though considering that The Last Broadcast also contains the mesmerizing dynamics of "The Sulphur Man" and the lovely whimsical title track.

Many have cited U2 as a major influence on The Last Broadcast, and such an observation is no doubt accurate, especially considering the Edge-style guitar riffs on "Pounding" and "There Goes the Fear." However, where U2 strive to make mere arena rock anthems, Doves perfectly juxtapose big choruses alongside rich sonic experimentation. The combination works beautifully, much like the effect of combining great melodies and experimental noise on Wilco's recent Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Elbow's Asleep in the Back. Like Wilco and Elbow, Doves never lose track of the importance of a great melody, and this trait sets them high above their Brit-rock peers. Coldplay, Travis, I Am Kloot, and Turin Brakes all write great songs, but none of these bands simultaneously make you want to dance and think in the same way that Doves do (the dance aspects of their music are no accident: Doves started out as fairly popular house music act Sub Sub in the early 1990s).

So, the bottom line is that I love this record and have been listening to it obsessively since its British release date at the end of April (the record comes out in the States on June 4 on Capitol Records). I've been telling friends of mine that it's the best British rock album since 1997: the colossal year that included The Verve's seminal Urban Hymns and Radiohead's masterpiece OK Computer. They are hesitant to believe such a bold statement, but I honestly feel that no record matches the sonic and lyrical cohesion and consistency of these two classics like The Last Broadcast does. Buy it now, and hear what it sounds like to be in love with music and life.

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