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Elly Roberts reviews
Heavenly Recordings (EMI)
- Released: February 2005
- Rating: 8/10
- Cat.no.: HVNLP50CD
CD: 
CD+DVD:
They dare to be diferrent: but will they pay the price? Hopefully not.
The Doves have been flying high ever since their successful album Lost Sides from 2003. The non-conformist Mancunians like to do thingstheir own way, with the music press loving every bit of them.
Whereas the tendency is to fall into the Embrace-Coldplay-Keane et al formula,this quartet are proving to be real troubadours in every way possible. If Iwas to set them apart for the run-of-the-mill exponents of melodic rock, theywould stand out as Pink Floyd did in the early days. Theres even a hint ofthe Floyd on their last album, a track called Valley.
On the British scene, they have no comparison or rivals. Album number three – Some Cities, finds the boys at their creative best (expanding on themagnificent Lost Sides) with their stature growing year on year. Not only arethey profound songwriters, they have a subtle knack of experimentation, withall kinds of sound and quirky effects, which turn up when you least expect them.
Listen number one:ok. Listen number two: very good and very interesting.Listen number three: gotcha! Thats how it seems to go with the Doves. Somehowtheyve embraced the Rolling Stones, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Northern Soul,Pink Floyd and yes even Coldplay, without the killer riffs and killer tracksthat will supply them with hit singles. Clearly their agenda is not to sell-outat any cost.
Its a long, long, long time since Ive heard anything as inspiring andinfluential from a very British sound, from a very unique (northern) Britishband.
Standout tracks: Black and White Town, Storm, Sky Starts Falling.
Visit the websites:Doves.net
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Some Cities
2. Black And White Town
3. Almost Forgot Myself
4. Snowden
5. The Storm
6. Walk In Fire7. One Of These Days
8. Someday Soon
9. Shadows Of Salford
10. Sky Starts Falling
11. Ambition
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.