Doves Release “Broken Eyes” Video | ‘The Universal Want’ LP Out Today
First new album in 11 years,
The Universal Want
Out Today
Purchase/stream The Universal Want
New single: “Broken Eyes”
Photo Credit: Jon Shard
Singles: “Broken Eyes” “Cathedrals Of The Mind” “Carousels” “Prisoners“
““Cathedrals of the Mind” finds Doves at their most adventurous, utilizing dub, ambient,and spoken word alongside their own distinct sound…” – Rolling Stone“after all this time, it indeed sounds “really fucking good.” – Stereogum“Carousels” is instantly recognizable as a Doves song: anthemic, soulful, just a little funky, spiralling out from a sample of the late, great Tony Allen.” – BrooklynVegan“a mix of shimmering guitars and washes of ambient drones” – NPR“a fresh look into the band’s new chapter.” – Paste Magazine“Still alive to life’s thwarted beauty” – Q Magazine, ★★★★“In troubled times, The Universal Want is exactly what we need” – Uncut, 9/10“It’s airborne Doves the world needs now” – Mojo ★★★★
The past chases Doves into the future with the release of visuals for new single, “Broken Eyes”, shared in celebration of their acclaimed, fifth album, The Universal Want, released today on 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.
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 colored 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).
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