There are some things in life you can rely on. One of them is Doves. In the four years since we last heard a new Doves album a few things have changed.

New Rave has been and gone, Bono has tragically died in a freak yachting accident (sorry, I was dreaming for a minute then), and a little thing called MySpace came to being.

Some things, though, will never change. Kingdom Of Rust sounds unmistakably like, well… the first three Doves albums. That’s not necessarily a bad thing (this is a great album), but you’d think a record that took four years to make might sound slightly more brave.

Multi-layered, moody soundscapes. That inimitable blend of introspective, downbeat Manc rock with fizzingly, euphoric dance crescendos. This is heavy on atmosphere. Music to get lost in. Everything you’d expect from Doves.

We just thought there might be a few more surprises.

Michael Wylie-Harris