'Some Cities' inconsistent but good
By Jeff Renfro
"Some Cities," the third album by England's Doves expands on the best aspects of the band, but is plagued by the same problems featured in their first two albums. The maddening inconsistency is worsened by the high quality of the standout tracks. "Some Cities" features enough of the fuzzed-out guitars that make the band both unique and great to garner a high grade.
Doves started out as a mildly successful dance group known as Sub-Sub. In the mid-1990s, their recording studio burnt down, which they took as a sign to give up dance music and to start making rock. Their critically acclaimed debut was "Lost Souls," which spawned the single "Catch the Sun." They followed it with the quickly forgotten "Last Broadcast," which was not bad, but did little to build on the signature formula of the debut.
"Some Cities" is at times the perfect combination of rock and dance. In their earlier albums, Doves acted liked they left rhythm and fun back in their dance days. They continue to work with English dance pioneers at the boards. Past collaborators have included members of New Order and Massive Attack.
"Some Cities" gets off to a fantastic start with the title track. The track's speedy rhythm differentiates the track from other Doves songs right off of the bat. The change is refreshing. The unhurried style worked in their previous albums, but the surprising pace of the track lets the listener know that the album will be different.
The album continues its strong start with "Black and White Town." Perhaps the album's finest track, "Black and White Town" adds piano to the faster pace of the first track. The piano bounces over the fuzzy guitars, which is all held together by the frantic drums. The song is the lead single from the album.
"One of These Days" is another standout track on the record. The song is probably the closest to what could be considered the classic Doves sound. Unfortunately, the band is unable to maintain the high quality of these songs throughout. There is no point on the album at which three good tracks in a row are featured. The majority of the album is great, but a few of the tracks seem to be stock. The lesser tracks do not serve a purpose other than tanking the album. "Snowden" brings back the piano of "Black and White City," but does little to expand on the earlier song.
There is no explanation for the low quality of the poorer songs. If Doves could put together an entire album of quality songs, they would definitely be considered one of the great contemporary rock bands. "Some Cities" could be better if it were more consistent, but it still packs quite a punch.
Grade: B+