Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Actually, it was okay. Not something I’d go out and listen to again, but if it came up on a playlist, I wouldn’t skip any of the songs. Everyone could play their instruments, and the singer didn’t sound like he had a mouth full of novocaine. It was more like an unpolished rock album than hipster indie.
Started strong, lost some luster on repeated listens.
Meh
Usually when listening to an album on this list I'll check the Album Summary to get some context. I didn't do that with this album and was pleasantly surprised when I recongnised the opening track as one I've heard many times on a chillout compilation album. The album just got better from there and I was also familar with The Cedar Room. Apart from the two tracks already mentioned I also enjoyed the title track. I look forward to given this another spin.
Automatic 5 from me - I love love love this album! I was introduced to Doves as being former techno DJs that had switched to making indie rock but hadn't lost sight of the idea they were making music for people on drugs, and while I don't know how true that is, the end results are hard to argue with! There's a dreamlike quality to the album, the way the songs blend into each other, the build ups of euphoria and the cool downs on the other side, the samples adding texture - it's all wonderfully cinematic, which is one of the main things I look for in music. I am still pained seeing people compare them to Coldplay. 😆 Fave tracks - love the opening run of "Fire Suite" -> "Here it Comes" -> "Break Me Gently". Love the switchup of tone across "The Man Who Told Everything" -> "The Cedar Room"
Meh
I do like these Doves albums. But this is the second Doves. No TMBG, really?
A gloomy, crepuscular album that seems to share as much DNA with trip-hop as it does with rock. Not my kind of thing at all - and an hour of mostly downtempo navel gazing can press after a while - but well executed.
Sab boi music but a lil hopeful Fav songs the man who told everything, the cedar room
After having undergone the type of setbacks that would have broke a lesser group, the band that would become known as Doves flew onto the scene with Lost Souls. With just an hour to spare, they set themselves apart from the wandering post-Britpop pack with dance-inflected rock soundscapes and lyrical imagery that recalls other bands like their ilk. Lost souls? Sounds more like found ones if any. Favorites: Firesuite, Here It Comes, Break Me Gently, Sea Song, Lost Souls, Catch the Sun, The Man Who Told Everything, The Cedar Room.
I think I really need more than one day to digest most of the albums. I did like it on the first few listens. Strong first half
Хороший альбом, интересное настроение
It’s a lot of noise and not particularly the best noise I’ve ever heard. Lyrics are fine, instrumentation is fine, vocals are fine. This is fine and I enjoy one of these song well enough, but the whole album gets a little heavy. That was my review before the second half. This is one of the first times I can remember that a second half of the album changed my opinion of the album as a whole. No shit, the album is meant to be listened to as a whole. I know and understand that. Usually, however, you can predict what an album will bring based on the first couple songs. Generally don’t get surprised by a second act. This surprised me and I’m glad it did. The two acts complement each other so well. The album gets clearer as it goes on which is a new concept I can’t remember hearing before. I enjoyed a lot more of it than I thought I would. Listened while waiting in line to VOTE today. 4/5
I think I probably prefer The Last Broadcast, but there’s not much in it
Nice pleasant.
Liked the claustrophobic melancholy vibe, got better on a second listen
This was a nice slice of indie.
I prefer this one to The Last Broadcast. It's not something I'd actively seek out, but fine enough to listen along to.
Tipicamente indie derivativo não sei exatamente de quê, mas fortemente descartável.
This gotta better as it went, felt like two albums almost, first part was good, second was great
Competent music, but fades into the background
Sellout Stadiums era U2 for British readers of Pitchfork. Like, take the saccharine sincerity of "Beautiful Day" and make it a bit more lo-fi, a bit more home-recorded, a bit more analogue, and you basically have Lost Souls. Much like that era of U2, I'm not necessarily averse to this, but that's because there's nothing here that I could possibly find offensive. And that's kinda why it feels a little offensive. Lost Souls is an inherently passive listen. A wallflower record – casual and pretty, but a wallflower nevertheless. There are worse albums on this list that I prefer to this, either because they have stronger singles or at least try something interesting. There's also better albums that I hate more because I find them much more egregious and grating. I have no clue why Lost Souls is on this list, but it also never does anything to make me angry, while also never going out of its way to make enjoy it. The closest it ever gets to energized is "Catch the Sun," which is still pretty goddamn passive. A true neutral listen for me.
Another head scratcher for this list. By no means would I say that this album is bad. I had never heard of the Doves, this album, or seen anything to suggest that this album was influential in some way. Why?
D’Angelo - Voodoo Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out Britney Spears - Oops I Did It Again Queens Of The Stone Age - Rated R Graham Coxon - The Golden D Quasimoto - The Unseen Deftones - White Pony At The Drive In - Relationship Of Command Kylie Minogue - Light Years Electric Wizard - Dopethrone God Speed You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven Craig David - Born To Do It Wu Tang Clan - The W The above is a relatively diverse list of albums released in the year 2000, all of which failed to earn a place in this list, while Doves ‘Lost Souls’ held firm. 59 minutes and 9 seconds I will never get back
Throwing me back to that emotionally turbulent time of the early aughts when I listened to these guys *on repeat.* I still like them, but I'm not sure I love the memories their songs are dredging up.
This one was a pleasant surprise. It's alt-rock, with enough variation to make me coming back to it. 4/5
It became background noise. Ameturitistic but a very clean sound. Generic. Seems like they liked to jam a bit more than have a structured song as there was not a lot of lyrics/vocals throughout. 4/10
First track was good, reminded me exactly of zero things, then just awful from then onwards.
It was pretty good. Will have to listen to it a bit more if I’m to form a solid opinion.
Boring but at least listenable i guess?
First listen and pretty good
Indie rock. Ni fu ni fa.
Bien. Aunque un poco lago se me ha hecho. Pero bueno. Suenan muy bien. Indie rock.
Maybe when I get the other Doves album I’ll be in a better mood for this one. Influences and cover art looks like something I’d like but didnt. :/ Rating: 2.4
While not objectionable, this was overlong and too pretentious for its own good. I can see exactly why this was selected for the list - it fits exactly into what the MeldodyMaker/NME type journos fanwanked over at the time, but bears little merit outside that context. Better than contemporary acts, though.
I lost my soul listening to this uninspired music.
Love it
Opzich wel nice, iig erg relaxed
Wow I'd forgotten about this band but I remember listening to it at the time and really enjoying it. I think it's aged very well and holds up as a great example of early aughts indie rock.
Sooo boring
This reminds me of car journeys home as a child. Nowadays this sort of music always feels like it's telling the end of the story and we're seeing what happened to all of the characters at who weren't the main characters.
Very mellow. Good for doing your taxes to.
Really liked this one when it came out and still do. Ok not all songs keep the attention but on the whole a really good sound. Certainly an album I revisit from time to time
The Oasis of Indy? Lol. No. But this was alright. A little forgettable but there was some solid high anxiety chill in here.
Meh. I wouldn't disagree that this is kinda an impressive debut, and it's cool that the band sort of pulled off a reverse "Kid A" (before Kid A even came out,) but like, the sound of this thing is very indebted to Radiohead, but with overall less impressive songs and is less engaging throughout than almost all RH albums. The production is still good tho. Maybe I should revisit idk 🤷
Increíble producción
Another one in the category of I should like them more than I do. No reason why I don’t love them. Just sort of never got into them.
Rather enjoyable indie rock... almost languid album that peaked with Catch the Sun and the reprise had a strange reverb like sound at the end... maybe just the version I listened to?
A very chill album that was nice to listen to on a chill Friday.
Kept me engaged right from the start with its euphoric sound.
I hate it when my eloquent notes from listening don't save and I have to remember what I typed. Anyway, started off setting a mood with Firesuite and held it through to the end. A great album well worth repeated listening.
This wasn't my favorite album in the project so far, but I did find some gems in there that I enjoyed in the moment. I think their strength lies in the Explosions In The Sky-esque instrumental movements rather than the lyrics. But there were some good grooves and hooks in there that I liked. Probably won't revisit them going forward, but a solid listen nonetheless. Notable Tracks: - Rise - Melody Calls - Catch The Sun - A House 5/10
pass
como coldplay, pero mejor
2.5
Very Coldplayish (7.8) ★★★½
Could have been better with trimming off about 15 minutes, but quite enjoyable, and "The Cedar Room" is a great song. 3.5 stars
3 stars. Good but forgettable
A most of the time mid-quality Oasis/Coldplay combo. There a few fairly strong tunes like Break Me Gently, Catch The Sun and The Cedar Room which have richer arrangements and more melody and feeling but everything else is a bit ordinary and blah and fading to grey where the band are less like Doves and more like Pigeons. Somewhere between 3.0 and 3.5.
Another blandish-post Britpop band on this list. This is ok, but not doing too much for me.
This album has a laid-back, moody vibe, like drifting through a cloudy day. The guitars and vocals remind me of early Radiohead, with a bit of Elbow’s quieter moments. It’s chill, sometimes dreamy, and pulls you into its own world without being too intense. Simple, but it works.
Tedious; I found absolutely zero entertainment value in this album.
Eerily atmospheric
Atmospheric, wavey, and dreamy. Liked it a lot. Lyrics are mostly whatever or just chorus, but the long instrumentals draw out the best of the album. Hit the right vibe for me. Standouts:
Another unknown find that works for me.
# Album Name: Lost Souls # Artist: Doves # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Very slow and sombre start to the album. Pretty much what you expect from the doves. Sea song was enjoyable. But it wasnt until the album got to "catch the sun" that it got going. By then it was too late. The singles from this album is solid. Good tunes. Sadly came a bit too late but it brought the album back from the dead. P.S. dont do what i did - i started listening to "lost sides" rather than "lost souls". I was thinking what the fuck is this album doing on here. Turns out its their b-sides.... # Top Tunes: Sea song / catch the sun / man who told everything / cedar room # Would I listen to it again? Only the singles i think.
3.5 rounded down why is this an hour long highlights: here it comes, rise, the cedar room (oct 3 2024)
Only listened to a couple if tunes will listen tomorrow
i dunno i tried to listen to this like 3 times and couple days later i cant remember a thing about it. just pleasant little nothingness NNN
Good stuff, not my favorite style.
how have i never even heard this band's name before easily clears most British indie rock of its time and before for me Sea Song and Rise are so gorgeous defo gonna have to give it a relisten later
First impression: The album starts strong. I really liked Firesuite, Her It Comes, Sea Song. Almost Muse-like at times. A fine album overall.
Music made for the background. So unremarkable, I only noticed that the album was over 5 autoplay songs after the fact.
I wasn't that impressed by this on the first listen, but I forgot to review so I listened again and liked it much more on the second run through. A low 4.
Oh sweet Jesus. This looks like the earliest of 2000s and the heaviest sap. I’m worried about this one if I was to judge an album by its cover and press photos. A full hour as well. Yikes. Well I like the first song so this has potential, although the brief shimmer of vocals concerned me. It’s fine and we’ve returned to spacey, understated yet thick with atmosphere musicianship. Hell yeah brother. And here come the vocals. They should’ve stayed away. The first vocalist is repugnant, the second is good. Riverboat piano is always a downgrade to any instrumental section. You know this isn’t half bad as things go. Apparently I misheard this as a tv drama theme song. The samples are so good. I don’t love the main riff, but the trippy vocals and background instrumentation creates a lush atmosphere. This thing is interesting and this song was cool. The chords and sounds are so odd and fantastic on this thing. Even the singing works as it forms part of the atmosphere. What initially sounds like a bad Oasis cover forms what is a hypnotic and dense environment that is appealing and does not lose that appeal. I wouldn’t say these are the best songs I’ve heard or anything, but there’s something cool here. Another similar vibe. I can see this getting slightly repetitive, although the musical variety creates enough diversion from the similar ideas in song structure. Extended solo, back into jangly, reverb guitar. Lost souls is a different type of song. Far more vocal focused to begin. Then it’s buried in a swell of sound. Only to return to the sort of basic section. Into trippy circus music. So many 60’s psych influences here. Not my favourite track, but still gripping. This album is so layered. Wearing the 60e influences in their sleeves here but with a modern instrumentation and production. Foo fighters interlude. Don’t do this to me. Christmas Foo Fighters to boot. What is happening?? “Hey guys, we have an album full of dense instrumentation and introspective alt-rock, but have you heard about this song called Learn to fly??? Let’s do a bar rock cover of that.” I hope someone was fired for this blunder. Pass. NOOOOOOOO. What have you done. Doves. I was with you. I was on board. Why turn the focus from some of the most interesting pop/rock music I’ve heard so far to 2002 wedding music. Fucking Daughtry vocal line. A couple whirring, spaghetti western oddities near the end, but man that vocal line but the overly “epic” musicianship and the dreadful singing make this another trawl through the depths of garbage. Creepy train conductor intro is a VERY welcome change from WWE Soundtracks (as rad as they may be) but as the cool instrumentation returns so do the prominent vocals. Better vocal melody however. This one is ok. Throwaway instrumental interlude for the most part. Overstaying its welcome a little bit. 40 minutes is the best album duration. Sue me. One more. Man who told these guys the vocals were the way to go. They’re ok, but the instruments, the soundscapes are just too good. This could’ve been an instrumental album. A tale of two albums. An album divided. The instrumentation and production of the first half of this was so fantastic that all vocals became an instrument of their own. As the vocals became more prominent further along the track list, they became a distraction and in a few cases completely overshadowed instrumentation. An interesting experiencea and an excellent album let down by periods of mediocrity that became more frequent as the album continued. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: Firesuite, Sea Song, Rise
Another band I thought I hated, based on a rubbish TV ad I saw about 20 years ago. Great late night listening - Sea Song and Firesuites were my favourites. It's aged quite well, though definitely has the hallmarks of turn of the century indie - some tracks have Radiohead moments. The tracks where they sound a bit like Coldplay (e.g. Catch The Sun) are probably my least favourite parts of the album.
This wasn’t anything special, except one or two songs kind of made me stop what I was doing and listen.
This was interesting. Not horrible. I am indifferent.
Bien. Aunque un poco lago se me ha hecho. Pero bueno. Suenan muy bien. Indie rock.
2000s nostalgia
This was semi interesting, but just really droned on too much for me, then a few more catchy songs at the end didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the album. Wouldn’t recommend
What a super great Post Brit-Pop piece. I cannot describe how much this meant to me during early 00‘s.
Best Song: Catch The Sun. Very classically late 90s/early 00s melancholy. Worst Song: Melody Calls. Far too much harmonica for me. Overall: A very consistent alt-rock drone. Feels at times like a more muted Porcupine Tree. The whole album has this sort of melodic homogeneity that allows it to kind in the background of your mind, never being good, bad, or interesting enough to demand your full attention.
Mostly sets a mood and feel (“late night after hours” they say) but kinda boring other than a few songs, though even the songs I liked weren’t particularly memorable. Fire Suite was actually a cool start to the album with a trip hoppy kinda riff. Just felt like things never took off from there, though Lost Souls was pretty weird. The vocalist is a bit poppy and falsetto-y for my taste, preferring when the vocals are more effected and reverb-soaked. Inoffensive, just didn’t really have any impact on me. I prefer The Last Broadcast, and that I thought was ok.
great album
Not sure why but love this band.
Pretty decent chilled shoegaze album. Maybe not bursting in originality, but well worth a listen. 4/5
Didn't finish it...it didn't capture me from the beginning like the previous albums did. I'll have to revisit it at another time and give it a thorough listen.
A very listenable album of melodic, melancholic indie music.
Yeah idk anymore so much British dog shit
No. 244/1001 Firesuite 4/5 Here It Comes 3/5 Break Me Gently 3/5 Sea Song 3/5 Rise 4/5 Löst Souls 3/5 Melody Calls 3/5 Catch the Sun 4/5 The Man Who Told Everything 4/5 The Cedar Room 3/5 Reprise 3/5 A House 4/5 Average: 3,42 Pretty good, but for me a lot of songs felt like they had way more potential. But they were never really able to get it all together. This could have been really great.
A nice surprise for me. How come I haven't heard of Doves before? "Here It Comes" reminds me of "Glory Box" by Portishead. Some tracks are really good. The main problem with the album is that it gets boring sometimes. 3 stars for "Lost Souls".
Yes, this is a soundtrack for the time after party. It is moody and mellow, the lyrics are somewhat brooding. It is coherent and the songwriting ist aspirational and in parts dense. I like the atoquite a lot, the production is satisfyingly warm and lush. It can get stretched in some songs, and if they had restrained from harmonica and a too hard hitting snare, I would feel even better with it
Ah British Indie Rock. This had a unique sort of psych rock feel to it but nothing felt out of the ordinary. I liked the first song as it was mostly instrumental.
A weird alt-rock type of album, it almost felt like different bands making so many of these songs. I really don't know what to make of this one. A couple tracks I did enjoy, but scratching my head at this inclusion. Favorite tracks: Here It Comes, A House. Album art: Looks to be a guy on stage, lights casting shadows far behind him. The lights are most of what you can see. Also, black and white. Doesn't add up to much. 2.5/5
I can’t believe this album slipped through the cracks for me. Back in the early 2000s, this was exactly the kind of music I loved. Discovering it now feels like I missed out back then. This album reminds me a lot of Moon Safari by Air, but with an indie rock twist and more structured songs. It has a sense of longing, with a lot of emotional depth. It’s very melancholic, dreamy, and atmospheric. This is definitely an album I’ll be playing more in the future.
Beautiful and atmospheric, the guitars were talking the whole album, great vocals as well. 4.0
I preferred The Last Broadcast but this pretty good, too. They kind of remind me of Oasis Lite. I'd consider listening to this again, although none of the songs really blew me away, and a couple were annoying. A high 3.
Pretty good, melancholy and chill
looks like shit tbh but ill try it. firesuite- 5 but if the whole album sounds like this.... its not gonna be good here it comes- ayo. 4 break me gently- 3 sea song- 4 rise-5 lost souls- 4 melody calls- 6 catch the sun- 3 stop it thats enough favorite track- melody calls
Very serene, very demure.
A fine entry into the dream/psych pop realm that still resonates today.
Their second album, the Last Broadcast, is also on this list and I thought that was pretty good! As for Lost Souls, I feel as though this is a very ambitious first album. It's extremely spacey and large in the first half, only to come down to earth and explore a more indie rock sound in the second half. I get the impression that Doves was heavily inspired by the grandiose nature of OK Computer (released a mere 3 years earlier), but Lost Souls ultimately lacks the unique stylings that cemented Radiohead as being one of the greatest bands of all time. This will just have to settle for being pretty good.
Going but not as good or interesting as their other album on the list 3
Really cool, found it to be a meditative listen. Catch the sun reminded me of the Foo fighters. The Cedar room is my fav.
This was boring. I tried but it did not capture my attention at all and a day after I can remember nothing other than being slightly annoyed. No thanks.
Really nice
This was a real nice one to listen to. The fun, intriguing and unique melodies throughout the album were superb. Alongside the calm yet still commanding vocals it made for a great listen. Best - Sea Song, Rise, Melody Calls, Catch the Sun (MPF), and The Cedar Room Worst - no bad songs whatsoever 4.25-4.50/5
Allein schon die tolle Produktion spricht für dieses Album. Kristallklarer Sound, die Band hat sich sehr viel einfallen lassen an Klangelemente. Bin ich zur Zeit depressiv, weil ich die Atmosphäre als nicht dunkel empfunden habe? Eine schöne Entdeckung in der Musikgeschichte.
Not sure why the authors thought we needed to hear this noise.
Fairly unremarkable, standard stuff from 2000ish.
I loved \"Firesuite.\" \"Break Me Gently\" got grating quickly. I think I like everything the instruments are doing and the vocals kinda get in the way. I didn't like that slow strumming in Rise, but the start of Sea Song was great. I think I like about half of this music.
Good music-making, but whatever audio effects they were doing to the vocals were simply distracting and garbled the lyrics, which is unfortunate, because the few times they just led their frontman sing were the few songs I really got into.
Definitely an album that you need to be in the correct mood for, one to relisten to in autumn.
Lemppari: Catch The Sun
I really like vibe of this album. I love the tremolo on “rise”. “The cedar room” is fantastic.
Pretty straightforward indie rock from the late 90s to early 2000s era. It has some good instrumentals, such as the guitar work. However, I don't find the album particularly memorable or overly interesting.
Mid +
Sadly a fine album, not great not bad. With one song rise-ing above them all. That's not enough to lift the whole album up, but a pleasant surprise!
meandering pink floyd but if it was coldplay
Pre-listening thoughts: I have never heard of this band or album (lots of albums I'm gonna repeat that sentiment with on this list!). I don't even have an inkling of what this will sound like. Post/during listening thoughts: Am i tweaking where are the vocals. Ok wait nevermind the opening was just an instrumental phew! Thought this was a weirdo soundscape album. It sounds like aimless Coldplay. Choppy vocals on Break Me Gently are not doing it for me. This is like lowkey the most forgettable genre of music for me. I am zoning out so hard rn this is so boring lol. Why is every song so long like bring back the 3 minute song! 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: absolutely not Fav tracks: Melody Calls, Catch the Sun Least fav tracks: Break Me Gently
Kalsarikänni-videopeli-illassa laitoin varmaan 4 alusta levyn, mutta ei silti mitään mielikuvaa millaista tämä oli. Ei tainnut siis kolahtaa.
Vähän oli sellasta melankolista liitelyä turhan paljon ja paikoin sitä kuuluisaa muniinpuhaltelua
I've always liked Doves, particularly 'Catch the Sun', which is a bit of an earworm for me (in the best way possible). But honestly, I can't really see why 'Lost Souls' deserves a place on this list. It's a fun, catchy album, sure. Praised by critics upon release (but when was the last time you heard them mentioned anywhere?). There's some fun trivia about the album too. Following a fire in their ffirst studio, they started over and recorded in New Order's studio. And they were the backing band for Badly Drawn Boy, who I quite like. I don't know if that's enough to warrant a place on this list, but I'm happy enough to hear it again.
Cool cool cool
First listen Saved 7/12
There’s moments on this record that I absolutely love. Specifically when it becomes a sweeping orchestral score. The singing doesn’t do much for me. Overall it’s fine but not one of the greats. 3/5
3/5
Really enjoyed the chill and progressive sounds. 2000 album with jamin weight
Not really my jam. They sound like U2 if U2 was more indie rock alternative
3.1 listened 2x
This sounds best driving through a northern town in the rain
Nice listen. 3/5
Really good listening. Found my self day dreaming from track one.
It was fine. Surprised there were two Doves albums so far
Liked some of the songs but on the whole they were very same-y. Didn't hate it.
Beautiful music
Dull Indie Pop.
3.5
Well, this was moody and a bit long but I enjoyed a lot of it
Bien. Aunque un poco lago se me ha hecho. Pero bueno. Suenan muy bien. Indie rock.
moody indie rock - a bit forgettable
Not horrible but not memorable anywhere either. Rounding down.
7/10
First half OK, 2nd half not so much.
I like this because it is music that I like. But this is another album that could have been replaced with something outside of the anglo-saxon world
Simply an amazing debut
Meh. I liked some parts of this, but other parts fell off.
It starts surprising but ends as the most Brit Pop Albums…6/10
Noel Gallagher pilled Brit goodness
Het is flauw om iedere keer te zeggen dat een zanger klinkt als een ander zanger, maar toch kan ik er niet aan ontkomen om hier te zeggen dat deze zanger klinkt als Chris Martin. Ik vind dat geen ramp want ik kan Coldplay goed hebben. Het album begint heerlijk met een (bijna) instrumentale track en daarna wordt het wat meer Coldplay-achtig. Redelijk mooi gelaagde muziek, goed geproduceerd. Ik kan dit geen legendarisch album vinden, maar ik kan hier heel goed naar luisteren. Daarom ga ik een 4 geven, zelfs als het eigenlijk niet per se in deze lijst hoort. Ik begin me steeds meer af te vragen of er meer dan laten we zeggen 250 albums zijn die je zou moeten luisteren voor je begint aan je laatste winterslaap.
I have a real soft spot for Doves. Yes I can get a little disengaged here and there now and then, but the steady return to hookness from dreampopland keeps me focused. You can hear the beginnings of Coldplay , a continuation of shoegaze, some psychiness, and just enough spaciness to make you wish you were on some club drugs. I really like the constant insertion of inventiveness. Catch the Sun a regular favorite.
Dreamy
The Doves never quite did it for me. I like There Goes the Fear but it’s not on this album. It’s not quite morose or ferocious enough on the one hand and not chill out music either. It’s fine and gappy enough to have it on in the background but nothing earth-shattering.
There were many moments during my listen of this album where I thought I was losing the thread, but then the song would build and grow and I was swept away. I can't claim to remember a lot of the details of what I heard, but I really liked it.
Style over substance. I generally dug the vibe on here, but boy the compositions are lacking. And after three songs it all just started to sound the same.
Dig!
Beautiful Brit rock album
Album 466 of 1001 Doves - Lost Souls Rating : 3.5 / 5 Good album. Kind of a Radiohead sound. Wouldn't mind another listen.
The style and genre is right up my alley. Really melancholic without being sad. The melodies, but vocally and instrumentally, drive the album. I would really love to listen to this while driving at night; I feel like that's what this album was specifically created for. There's a few songs that kind of lose the magic of the rest of the album, but on re-listens it's easy enough to just skip them. Favorite Song(s): Rise, Catch the Sun
Pretty average
Lost Souls is the debut studio album by British indie rock band Doves, originally released in 2000. Another new-to-me band. My first thought is that these guys sound a lot like Coldplay, who would release their debut album around the same time. Doves incorporates a lot more indie influence into their sound, and I also hear just the faintest touch of shoegaze. I guess it's unfortunate for Doves that Coldplay blew up because they cannot beat the "sounds like Coldplay" allegations. They create a late-night type atmosphere with most of the songs but a lot of them are just lacking. This record has huge potential, but they just need some extra umph... I can't really describe it.
Another Doves album that surprises and stands out. This one was better than the last broadcast. This had a much more relaxed, dreamy sad sound that makes a great indie sound. Even felt like this had some Radiohead similarity in some songs. Overall this was a really nice alternative album and would listen again. 7.4/10
Nice if unmemorable album. Reminds me of Joan Armatrading or Barbara Streisand. 6/10
I am a little surprised that this kind of generic indie rock band I never heard of has not 1 but 2 albums on this list. I am not a huge Arctic Monkeys fan, but you could just as easily have replaced one of these 2 with AM or something like Interpol. That being said I do enjoy this one more that the other one (at least I think I do, I barely remember it). This album has fun moments, but the middle of this album is a real drag.
Too many memories linked to this album to give it another whirl. Musically accomplished and well crafted dream pop. Ultimately Lost Souls and the Doves in general are so disarmingly dull it is almost offensive. Frustratingly they were better than most of the teal sounding artists, who half listened to a Jeff Buckley song that seemed to be spreading like a venereal rash back in 2000.
I can’t believe this album slipped through the cracks for me. Back in the early 2000s, this was exactly the kind of music I loved. Discovering it now feels like I missed out back then. This album reminds me a lot of Moon Safari by Air, but with an indie rock twist and more structured songs. It has a sense of longing, with a lot of emotional depth. It’s very melancholic, dreamy, and atmospheric. This is definitely an album I’ll be playing more in the future.
как-то тоскливо и напомнило элбоу. надо будет ещё потестить + может тот другой альбом с которого я уже две песни знаю
Top quality live sounding lo-fi beats and melodies in the first track. Oh? There’s singing too? That’s spoiled it a bit…..but there’s Hammond organ as well? I’m so conflicted now. Really welcomed this band - indie / dance crossover without being even remotely wanky - great stuff. Not sure how this passed me by back in the day - I’d have loved it then and love it now.
Well I liked it more than I remember when it first came out. It’s got a nice maudlin vibe and consistent sound to it, but none of the tunes really hammer home and some feel like they drag a bit. Pleasant enough but not remarkable.
This album passed me by at had time but pretty sure I went to one of their gigs. It ticks a lot of boxes for me and best listened to on the sofa with a cup of tea. Really enjoyed it and will revisit.
The Doves! I’ve tried many times to like and get into their music. Main reason being is that they are Manchester contemporaries of Elbow which is a band I really do like and Elbow themselves hold The Doves in high esteem. I also think that both bands have collaborated at one time or another. Whilst Elbow music is very melodic and most of their songs very memorable and lyrically masterpieces, Doves music is the very opposite. The vocals are a bit too ‘Manc’ for my liking. Not a lover at all of that Manc(hester) drawl. Oasis got away with it as Oasis could only do. A meaningless football comparison springs to mind when I think of The Doves and their music. The Doves to me are the red part of Manchster whilst Oasis are very much Manchester blue. As a Leeds United fan I cannot stand the red Manc’s. A senseless observation I know and based on nothing but my own bias not music but I just wanted to get my loathing out there. I’m sure The Doves are very nice chaps and might even despise the reds as much as me. As for the music it’s OK, and because Elbow like ‘em and just in case one the band hate scum you can have 3 stars. 3/5 26/6/24
Pretty damn dull, file next to elbow but not quite as shit
Inventing maudlin cinematic jangle pop only 30+ years after everyone else.
poundshop Portishead
Pleasantly surprised. We were uncertain at first but got into the groove.
I enjoyed this but it isn't groundbreaking. It's chill
As a big Doves fan even I have to concede this is not essential listening. Catch The Sun is great The Cedar Room actually unlocked as a song when they did that BBC concert with the choir
June 22, 2024 HL: title track, "Sea Song", "Catch the Sun", "The Man Who Told Everything", "The Cedar Room" Doves #3, if we're counting their involvement in Badly Drawn Boy's The Hour of Bewilderbeast. After their other album on this list, I wasn't super interested in delving further into their catalogue. Maybe due to these storm grey clouds threatening rain all day, I found Doves easier to listen to. The first couple songs weren't all that intriguing, but with "Sea Song" onward the album kept growing on me. "The Cedar Room" might be my favourite song on here, but it seemed like a bold choice to release it as their 1st single on their 1st album, with the slow build & droning bass. Though considering Coldplay filled stadiums with "Yellow" & "Fix You" a couple short years later, maybe not
They sure have a way of making a song feel like it's way longer than it actually is.
Wat licht-experimentele kabbelpop, het ligt prettig in het gehoor maar neigt naar muzikaal behang. Je zit een beetje te wachten, zo van: gebeurt er nog eens wat?
Rustige luister-zomerrock. Tijdens het schilderen van de kozijnen opgezet in een stevig zonnetje. De ideale omstandigheden voor deze plaat. Zelf de wat zeurende stem stoort mij deze keer niet.
Dit klinkt voor mij veel bekender als shoegaze of post/space-rock in de oren als de late 80s en early 90s varianten (of voorlopers dus waarschijnlijk) zoals My Bloody Valentine. Het is sfeervol, met soms galmende gitaren en dan niet zoals gisteren bij die crooner, maar veel meer rock georienteerd. Wat moderner zeg maar. Het had van mij wel wat meer opbouwend mogen zijn. Soms begint een nummer prachtig ingetogen, zoals Break Me Gently of Sea Song een prima begin heeft. Maar dan moet het vervolgens wel tot een climax opbouwen (luister het album van Oceansize, Effloresce bijv) en dat doet het niet. Het blijft zo een beetje suffig af en toe, het komt niet los. Meer een soort wazige the Verve lijkt het nu. Het had potentie kunnen hebben als ze af en toe even lekker los waren gegaan op de gitaren. Zonde, gemiste kans wat mij betreft, dan had ik het zeker hoger kunnen waarderen dan wat nu vermoedelijk een vergeetbare 3 wordt.
I swear that the reason the upbeat dance band Sub Sub became Doves was so that they could write minor-key songs. But they're brilliant, a crashing comedown after the regrettable highs of Britpop, with dashes of Ride and Spacemen 3 and early Verve. "The Cedar Room" is the best track, I remember playing it over and over again when it came out. "If I told you you was wrong" is grammatically UNFORGIVABLE though. Still five stars.
Man eftir Catch the sun, og það er fínt. Restin er ánægjuleg, hljóðeimur sem eldist vel. Gæti þetta oftar.
Catch the Sun is extremely catchy. But that's about the only song I found to be catchy.
A cool sonic landscape of alt rock. Firesuite gets it going on a good note, but nothing really elevates it beyond that or stands out for me. Fine.
Cinematic and adventurous production on gorgeous songs. British 2000s indie rock owes a debt to this no doubt
Not sure what it was about Doves that ol’ Rob thought made you have to hear them before you die, but I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit! Strong 3
White boys.... standard fare
2024-06-09...
"Firesuite" was the best track. The rest of the songs were pleasant enough to listen to without having anything really jump out from the others. This has some flashes of Coldplay (not sure which group came first). That's not a bad thing, but this album felt just a little too safe for me.
Hard to believe this is a 90s record. With many of the cinematic, orchestral stylings of 2000s rock, this album feels very much ahead of its time. There’s a lot of really cool ambient and Shoegaze elements in this music as well. I listened to this record while driving the California coast, and it was very fitting.
Loved this. A bit moody but also has some real welly.
I don't understand why Doves has 2 albums on the list. I kind of enjoyed the other one, but this one here is just annoying, and indeed, it is not something anyone should listen to before dying. I usually like to hear non-obvious albums around here, but when this is the best option, I prefer to go back to the recommendations of the Beatles and Beach Boys!
Incredible. Another perfect album for me. June starting off HOT
"Lost Souls" is the debut studio album by British indie rock band Doves. Without any hooks, this album sounds like mediocre background music to a RPG, and is worsened by the overlaying whiney, overly produced vocals and totally harmonica. "Catch the Sun" is probably only single worth listening to and comparing Doves to Oasis is offensive.
Boring boring boring.
not really a fan, but i see the appeal
This was a weird one...I didn't hate or even dislike anything, but I will never seek this album or them out again. Their music is in my preferred genre so I could like something by them but nothing in this album pulled me in to want to investigate them as a band further.
This wasn’t bad, but it was hard to hear a lot of the lyrics and I’m not really a fan of that. Some level adjusting would’ve been nice. I dug some of the sounds, but it was pretty forgettable overall.
3.5 Better than some other similar albums I’ve heard recently. Weird mix. First half is more ambient experimental stuff and then the latter half is more traditional indie rock.
Definitely an album that if I had heard this in high school, I'd probably remember it fondly but not listen to it much. It's a fun album, but it is more impressive when it leans away from that indie pop sound. Starts off great, but "A House" is not impressive enough to end satisfactorily on. 3.5/5
Lo he escuchado antes, pero no es mi disco favorito de ellos. Solo tengo guardada la canción "Catch the Sun", a ver con una segunda escucha. He añadido otra, pero no da mucho de sí.
It exists ... And it's music. Really not memorable.
bit dull
# Playlist track - Firesuit # Notes - Solid opening track (Firesuit) and follow-up (Here It Comes). - On Break me Gently, the "breaking" effect on the vocals is overdone and distracts from the song, which wouldn't be bad if it didn't sound like it was streamed over a bad connection. -1 star. - The rest of the album sits between "nice" and "forgettable" most of the time. - The band doesn't bring enough variety to fill the entire hour of the album. The damn "breaking" effect comes back in the beginning of "The Cedar Room" (the most listened to song in Spotify) and I can't help but skip it every time. -1 star - Reprise and A House are completely unnecessary filler and add nothing to the experience. -1 star
Compellingly moody and engagingly (not oppressively) dark and windswept. Opener sets a high bar and the remaining cuts continue in a mostly consistent and strong vibe/channel. "Catch the Sun" the clear winner as single. Worth continued listening. Not as good as Radiohead (obvs), but probably better than Oasis and certainly superior to Blur (as almost everything is).
A nice record that gives me Radiohead-by-way-of-Coldplay vibes. There's atmosphere, but it may blend a little too much into the background at times to truly be an album that should be on here. I still enjoyed it. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "The Man Who Told Everything", "The Cedar Room"
Sad indie
It wasn’t bad.
2.5
Sounds like the inspiration for Coldplay
half decent, found it hard to get into
kinda felt like it would never end. otherwise passable to good!
The first half of this was bloody great. My interest wavered towards the end. 10 minutes shorter would have been 4 stars.
I really quite enjoyed this, atmospheric, melodic, epic. Britpop with some grandeur.
The sound is ok.
Consistently built up atmosphere with a slight tendency to become boring.
It reminds vocally of Anthony Kiedis a bit…without obviously copping…which is nice. I prefer lower register lead vocals…with some low end resonance…it’s refreshing in pop music as there is not near enough of these artists who get the spotlight they deserve.
The album art is freaking me out a little. Is this two different photos? The music is less interesting. Atmospheric, sure, but not a vibe I'm ever looking for. It's fine for what it is. Did I *need* to hear it? I don't think so.
Oooh, this was an interesting one! Elements of shoe gaze, trip hop and a touch of electronica. According to Wikipedia they started as a dance music group with a hit single before a fire in their studio destroyed all of their work in progress, prompting them into a complete change of direction. It reminded me a little of Coldplay, but predates them by a couple of months. I like this a lot!
The album does not survive the first impression given by the magnificent intro, mixing shoegaze & trip-hop bits. It's not bad either, but I was hooked by these first 3 minutes and was let down too fast. I read that many compare them to Coldplay and I globally disagree: the music is better built, there's no gimmicks as putting keyboards everywhere and sad voices. There are regularly interesting bits (hints of shoegaze, sometimes lots of reverb on the voice, bits of electronic music). But it feels like it could have been better, more inventive, more thrilling that it is. 3 minutes after listening to the album I was excited, 30 minutes later I was nostalgic for all this album could have been.
Reminds me of Coldplay. The music doesn't hurt, but it's not thrilling either.
2.5
A surprise to see two Doves albums on the list - this probably the superior.
This was cool. I really really liked the instrumentals. An album that makes me fell like I am floating a bit. In the right relaxed head-space this album goes hard.
Listened to it in the wrong context. This is horrible cooking music, but would have been great for going for a walk on a lightly rainy night
"Lost Souls" by Doves, released in 2000, stands as a pivotal moment in British alternative rock. Let's delve into a comprehensive review focusing on lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, while also addressing its pros and cons. **Lyrics:** The lyrical content of "Lost Souls" is poignant and introspective, often exploring themes of longing, alienation, and existential uncertainty. Tracks like "The Cedar Room" and "Catch the Sun" delve into the complexities of human relationships and the search for meaning in a world that feels increasingly disconnected. The poetic nature of the lyrics adds depth to the album, inviting listeners to ponder life's mysteries alongside the band. **Music:** Musically, "Lost Souls" is a masterclass in atmospheric rock. Doves blend elements of alternative rock, shoegaze, and electronic music to create a sound that is both ethereal and emotionally resonant. The band's use of layered guitars, pulsating rhythms, and sweeping orchestration creates a sonic landscape that is both immersive and captivating. Songs like "The Man Who Told Everything" and "Break Me Gently" showcase the band's ability to craft melodies that linger long after the music has stopped. **Production:** The production on "Lost Souls" is immaculate, with the album boasting a rich and textured sound that allows each instrument to shine. The production values enhance the atmospheric quality of the music, drawing listeners into the world that Doves have created. From the shimmering guitars to the haunting synths, every element is meticulously crafted to evoke a sense of mood and atmosphere that perfectly complements the lyrical themes of the album. **Themes:** Thematically, "Lost Souls" explores the human condition in all its complexity. The album delves into themes of isolation, longing, and the search for meaning in a world that often feels overwhelming and indifferent. There is a sense of melancholy that permeates the album, but there is also a glimmer of hope that shines through the darkness. Ultimately, "Lost Souls" is a meditation on the beauty and fragility of the human experience, inviting listeners to confront their own fears and insecurities in the process. **Influence:** "Lost Souls" has had a significant influence on the alternative rock landscape, inspiring countless bands with its lush soundscapes and introspective lyrics. Doves' ability to seamlessly blend elements of rock, electronic, and orchestral music has set a precedent for other artists to follow, and the album continues to be celebrated as a classic of the genre. Bands such as Coldplay, Elbow, and Radiohead have cited Doves as an influence, and their impact on the music industry cannot be overstated. **Pros:** 1. **Atmospheric Sound:** The album's lush soundscapes and immersive production draw listeners into its world. 2. **Poignant Lyrics:** The introspective lyrics explore universal themes of longing and alienation with depth and sincerity. 3. **Musical Diversity:** Doves effortlessly blend elements of rock, electronic, and orchestral music to create a sound that is uniquely their own. 4. **Influence:** The album has had a lasting influence on the alternative rock genre, inspiring countless bands with its innovative approach to songwriting and production. **Cons:** 1. **Pacing:** Some listeners may find the album's slower pace and introspective nature to be a bit too somber at times. 2. **Lack of Variation:** While the album is cohesive in its sound, some tracks may blur together upon repeated listens due to a lack of distinct variation. 3. **Limited Commercial Success:** Despite critical acclaim, "Lost Souls" did not achieve the same level of commercial success as some of its contemporaries, which may have limited its reach to a wider audience. In conclusion, "Lost Souls" is a landmark album that showcases Doves' talent for crafting atmospheric and emotionally resonant music. From its poignant lyrics to its lush soundscapes, every aspect of the album is meticulously crafted to create a deeply immersive listening experience. While it may not have achieved the same level of commercial success as some of its peers, its influence on the alternative rock genre cannot be overstated. "Lost Souls" remains a timeless classic that continues to captivate listeners with its beauty and depth.
I’m calling this “One Tree Hill Core”. First half of the album or so is easy on the ears, with a slight influence of post rock. A little melodramatic at times, like this is so clearly made for 2000’s dramas. There is a weird point in the album, from “Catch The Sun” onward there’s a consistant need to sound like a British foo fighters ripoff? A hilarious shot of nostalgia for turn of the century tv series enjoyers.
Urghhhh
Not bad! Don't think I've ever heard of Doves before, and will have to check out their other albums.
A pretty solid, if generic, alt-rock feel for me. Just barely gonna give this a 4 over a 3.5.
A whole lotta meh.
It's a lovely, moody, atmospheric album. I remember hating the Man Who Told Everything back then because somebody played it repeatedly at an open mic night for months, but it's actually pretty great!
So. Boring.
Cool surprise!
Quite like this
Very nice
Like the vibe
Meh.
Perfectly pleasant
Perfect album for repotting plants on a Saturday morning.
Felt like I should enjoy this more? I dunno I didn’t dislike it, but It didn’t click like it probably should. 3/5
A super enjoyable concept album from a band I really should have listened to more before now. So many influences from 90s and 00s bands. Definitely going on my "must listen more" list, from now on.
I liked it a lot; very pleasant to listen to, in fact ;-) However, it wasn't the most appropriate choice for listening to at work, it's quite melancholy
A few weeks ago, I reviewed Doves' The Last Broadcast, which I really enjoyed, so I had high hopes for Lost Souls. As much as I loved The Last Broadcast, I wasn't as wild about Lost Souls. There were a few songs on this album that I liked: Rise, Catch The Sun, and The Cedar Room were my favorites, but the songs that weren't my favorites tended to kind of blend into the background of my consciousness. I still liked the overall atmosphere of this album; I enjoyed the shoegaze sound, but most of this album was just something pleasant to listen to, and it really didn't pull me in the way The Last Broadcast did. I hate comparing this album to their other work, but this album just doesn't have the feel and punch that The Last Broadcast does. In my opinion, this album just lacked a uniqueness to the overall sound. One of the things that The Last Broadcast did so well was creating an atmosphere in a sense, and that's missing from this album. I don't think this is a bad album, but given the choice between this and The Last Broadcast, I'll always choose the latter.
I listened. They sounded vaguely familiar. Did not dislike.
Lost Souls is the debut studio album by British indie rock band Doves. FFS this list could easily be the 500 albums you must listen to before you die if you were to remove the crossover UK pablum pop that sounds exactly like everything else from the same period. 2/5
Kind of good but also kind of boring lol
Just on the right side of Indie for me, and instrumentally I really liked the vibe of this album. I actually thought the title track was one of the weaker ones, but I added Sea Song to my faves playlist almost instantly because of the tone of it. Yep, a good ‘un overall.
I thought I’d heard Doves before, but I think I might have been thinking about Swans. I listened to this while driving to work and it made for a pleasant drive. It got me thinking about how some bands try to write complicated music with lots of weird chords changes, whereas Doves seem to stay within typical chord progressions but still make it interesting. This was good fun.
Not excellent, but still very solid
The moment I was growing tired of this list, it throws me this curve ball. Nice album but does not blow me away. It will go on my regular rotation though
Forgot how good it was
Love the vibe here, superb debut and sad that this band wasn't bigger than Coldplay. Really melodic guitar work.
АААААА БЛЯТЬ COLDPLAY И RADIOHEAD ПОЕБАЛИСЬ СУКААААААААААА 7/10
1001 albums - One a day - 2.75 years This was an experiment in discovery and broadening my horizons. It begins to feel like a prison sentence. I started this full of optimism, like "I'm going to find my new favourite band / album" "It'll change me for the better" Now I increasingly feel like my ears are being assaulted. Like on a flight with a screaming baby, or noisy neighbours - I have to listen to your noise, your agenda, your life is rubbing against me in a place I don't appreciate (the brain). Like being on vacation, but you're tired and feel like you just need to stay in the hotel and not go out into the strange city again where every statue/mosque/giraffe starts to look the same. "I know I have come a long way to experience new cuisine and culture, but I just want to sit by the pool and drink Stella and eat a burger today." Anyway, it's a pretty good album it's not challenging in any way, which makes the above rant even more preposterous and entitled. Enjoy it but keep that beach towel on your lounger just in case.
That is one hell of a debut album. Had to listen to it in two sessions. Boy do I love that musical texture, though. I'll have to revisit sometime.
Musically kinda interesting... Don't have anything else nice to say.
A couple standout songs (Catch the Sun, Sea Song, Rise) but otherwise just a pretty OK record.
Still don't like the lead singers voice. This was ok.
I didn't like this one anywhere near as much as The Last Broadcast. Nothing wrong with it, but no desire to revisit anytime soon, either.
The first song really drew me in, but it turned out to be a regular British indie album from the early 2000s.
Pretty standard indie rock. Probably could have died without hearing this.
I like a good prog rock album, but this one came off as bloated, derivative, and self important. I don't think there was much variety in the tracklist, and the songs presented were simply ok. Not bad, but not impressed. 3/5.
exactly what i expected. confirmed why i'm not a fan tbh
very good, well mixed and interesting composition. songs were a bit long/slow moving but other than that very good 4/5
not very surprising in any way but decent
Maybe if this album didn’t have the misfortune of coming to me the day after an Adele album it would have fared better- but by comparison it’s just really boring
Venturing into "Lost Souls" by Doves was an intriguing experience, especially since I hadn't come across this band before. It's somewhat surprising considering my familiarity with the music scene of their era, notably around the time when bands like Coldplay began capturing widespread attention. It's easy to see some parallels between the two bands in their sound, yet Doves seems to have flown under the radar in comparison. The album itself was quite a decent listen. While it didn’t particularly wow me, it wasn’t disappointing either. It sits comfortably in that middle ground where you’re content with the music, but it doesn’t necessarily ignite a passionate response. However, there were a couple of standout tracks that I found myself genuinely enjoying. "Catch The Sun" has an engaging vibe that makes it quite replayable, and "The Man Who Told Everything" struck a deeper chord with me. There’s something about the latter that resonates more profoundly—this track alone makes me curious enough to delve a bit more into Doves' discography. Overall, "Lost Souls" comes across as a solid album with moments that hint at more beneath the surface. Favourite Tracks: Here It Comes, Catch The Sun, The Man Who Told Everything
Mycket Coldplay, mycket Radiohead och många andra band jag gillar känns som detta. Många bra låtar, nästan alla, och definitivt en rolig lyssning (fick lyssna flera gånger). Med tanke på mitt dåliga sätt att ratea så får denna en 5 i jämförelse med mycket annat. 5orna ger jag till skivor som har över 5 låtar jag tycker riktigt mycket om.
Solid middle of the road album. Not great, not terrible, just is. 3/5
Wow! How did I miss this group? Just an amazing sound!
Lost souls was an exciting listen especially when it comes to the production and post proccessing. It's so interesting to hear such innovation in an album from the year 2000, I would love more material like this
Fairly surprised to see a second album by Doves cropping up here. Surprised to see a first as it was. I’ve never heard of this band before, and I‘d consider myself pretty knowledgeable on this era and scene in music at large, so this is a weird pick to must-listen-too. Doves is perfectly competent. Their music doesn’t bother me as some other alt-rock bands in the space might. But it doesn’t stand out much either. It sounds as if Red Hot Chili Peppers and Radiohead had a baby. More than anything it reminds of John Frusciante’s desparate solo work. Coldplay comps and Foo Fighter comps crop up here and there. All this to say, it’s more interesting and less-offensive than a lot of what filled arenas in this world, but it is an artistic far-cry from the likes of more unique bands in this space like Granddaddy, Interpol, the Strokes, Radiohead, etc. Doves is a very MOR affair. But they were my friends and they sent me these tracks I’d tell them, “Hey you guys are talented,” and, “This is really good. Don’t stop weiting songs. I think you have a career in this. People are gonna like this.”
Apparently I loved Doves’ last album (The Last Broadcast) on our list. But I can’t remember any of the songs! That does not bode well. My impression overall is: could have been worse, but not great. Dunno if this is unfair, but I get the feeling that nothing really... happened. Maybe it’s the fact that the vocal is mixed so far down, it would be unmemorable if it wasn’t simply inaudible. I think the band and their decisions are really in sync, there’s a lot of sympathetic vibrations and good band play. But the vocal makes Snow Patrol feel risky and alive! This does fill in a missing puzzle piece for me, between Blur and Radiohead on one end and something like Coldplay, very soon to come. But it's far, far less exciting than any of the things I just mentioned, the songs aren't tight, and I have a feeling we aren't going anywhere. Really, the first song made this out sound much more interesting than it ended up being. Could do without this. 2/5
There were moments here where I thought this might earn 4 stars, but they never came together into something more than pleasant enough background music. A mixed bag - the poppier tracks stood out in a bad way. Favorite track: Sea Song
My lazy take is that this is Madchester beigewave with a touch of glitch and a dollop of Radiohead. Let’s not be lazy: this is music to play in Park Lane hotel bars for rich old men and their escorts as they hopscotch lines of MDMA and cocaine.
Approached this fully expecting to hate it, and I was not disappointed. Another tedious UK band whose myriad plaudits are highly mysterious. I'm convinced Doves are basically a support group for failed Manchester musicians to rally around, an AA sponsor for the post-punk survivors. Dismal guitar sent wandering aimlessly around overlong dirges peppered with grating, yet puny vocals. As exciting as a wet, grey Monday morning in Macclesfield, appropriately enough. I won't distinguish it with the 1* it probably deserves.
Saw shoegaze written on wiki and feared the worst. It was brilliant, close to a 5.
This is so up and down, really hard to judge, bang in the middle 3* it is then
Everything about the inclusion of this album in the list angers me. First, there's that Wikipedia blurb saying that, quote unquote, "*Lost Souls* is considered by many to be the best debut album since Oasis' *Definitely Maybe*." Endquote. "Many"? Who, "many"??? You know what they should say about that sort of statement: "This article needs additional citations for verifications." Apart from a few subsets of music nerds, literally no one outside of Britain cared about that album when it was released. That comparfison is just ludicrous and based on thin air. I can actually find flaws in Oasis' debut, but it's just wishful thinking to consider the two records had the same sort of cultural impact. Wikipedia's supposedly "objective" blurb doesn't start well to say the least. Actually, there was a "reference" for that statement up there, with a link to a short piece on Canadian website *Exclaim* about Doves' next LP *The Last Broadcast*--when their promoting machine was trying to reach the overseas market for the band's second album. Quote unquote, without any reasonable piece of evidence: "*Lost Soul* was hailed by *many* (a-hem) as the best debut from an English artist since Oasis's *Definitely Maybe*. But there was only one problem" adds the short piece: "it was so damn gloomy." Endquote. "Gloomy"??? Or damn boring and self-indulgent overall? Portishead can be "gloomy". Chelsea Wolfe surely is "gloomy". Nine Inch Nails, too... In comparison, Doves' *Lost Soul* isn't gloomy. It's only three British lads coming from the Manchester house music scene opportunistically switching gears towards indie pop rock as the Hacienda party was drawing to an end, eliciting comparisons to what supposedly occurs when it's 4AM and the drugs and booze wear off after a wild night out. You know what those sorts of "comparisons" are... They're just... stories. Some sort of selling points that don't say anything about the music per se. And this one sure omits to mention how most of the music in the album is bland and self-indulgent--a second rate version of Coldplay that brings nothing "essential" to the table (yes, such a situation is possible, and it actually redeeems early Coldplay in my eyes!!!). And what's mind-boggling is that some easily-swayed reviewers are still buying that story on this app. Or maybe they just care too much about music that favors style over substance, orbackground hums over truly engaging stuff. Hence, maybe, that incredibly high global score of 3.27. Isn't marketing powerful? In all fairness, I can try to find mitigating circumstances explaining why the British music press decided to be so helpful to Doves. Their studio burnt to the ground, erasing from the surface of the earth all the recordings that their previous iteration as an electronic outfit (Sub Sub) had garnered. Doves also had an ear for "textures", a skill they had probably acquired when they were a house music act. Yet in terms of *compositions*, they were still dilettantes most of the time. Case in point, the first two tracks in this debut, *both* using lazy descending half-note progressions as an attempt to create a *mood*. I've mentioned Portishead earlier... When the Bristol outfit sampled an Isaac Hayes instrumental to build *Glory Box*, they added a *key* element: Beth Gibbons' moving, memorable vocal line, which goes straight to the heart. In comparison, what Doves' singer does on that sort of progression is just a meandering, pointless doodle that goes into endless circles without any clear emotional payoff. And it's the same sort of self-indulgence that can be found in 75% of the record. About the remaining 25%: third cut "Break Me Gently" fares far better, thanks to its proper chorus. So does the title-track, where the band flexes compositional chops at last. And then, there's the Foo-Fighter and Super Furry Animals-adjacent "Catch The Sun". Taken on its own, it's a very nice indie pop / indie-rock song, with Jimi Goodwin's voice suddenly acquiring more presence and warmth compared to his (or Andy Williams') previous vocal performance. But maddeningly, the song's inclusion in the middle of side 2 brings its own set of problems. Unexpectedly switching gears once more, Doves operates quite a jarring turn compared to the lazy proceedings that occured before said song jumps out to your ears. Remember that promotional blurb about this album being the equivalent of a return to home in the dead of the night, after a night at the Hacienda? Well here, as the band takes a peep out of the window to catch the rising sun, you suddenly realize that everything before was only a drug-induced illusion--in case you didn't realize it before. Guess it's part of the album's "concept", after all. But everyone who went through a similar experience knows it usually leads to perceptions that are, quite often, a little unpleasant. People next to you, who seemed to be shining all night long, now look tired, drowsy, dull or incoherent. And you feel tired, drowsy, dull and incoherent yourself. You all get one last high as you watch the sun rising, and then everything turns into "The Man Who Told Everything"-levels of boredom and exhaustion. Because even though that latter track stays on the indie-rock lane explored by "Catch The Sun", the whole Doves thing becomes pointless once again, up until the very last, inconsequential cut. So here it is. You have three or maybe four good songs out of the twelve tracks from this album, but the rest is instantly forgettable 24 years after the fact. Maybe I could have bumped my grade to a 2/5 mark, you know, just to respect that sort of proportion outlined up there. But since this middling record has been so inexplicably praised, and since it's using up a slot clearly more useful to hundreds of better records, I'm gonna go lower than that, just to protest about the whole situation. In more general terms, that means a 6/10 mark (5+1), because Doves are still skilled musicians. But honestly, having *Lost Souls* in this list even made me reconsider my previous benevolent feelings about Doves' sophomore LP *The Last Broadcast*. And this is the first time such a thing happens since I started to use this app. Number of albums left to review: 240 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 329 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 195 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 243 (including this one)
Only got to listen to the first third of the album but I liked what I heard
The three first tracks, which try to create an atmosphere but only create background muzak, make me lose interest so much that I think this will be a drag to finish. Then comes an interesting guitar pattern in Sea Song, with vocals that brings to mind OK Computer era Radiohead, and it's quite good, apart from the fact that it lasts six minutes and doesn't really go anywhere. Then the snoozefest starts again with Rise and continues for 3 tracks. I understand what they're trying to do, and why people might like it, but it's not my cup of tea at all. I'd rather listen to Sigur Ros all day long. Catch the Sun and The Man Who Told Everything and lift my spirits a little, being more guitar-oriented and poppy, before the album ends up in an underwhelming manner. Electric guitars are few and far between in this project, aren't they?
Like a worse Oasis listened through the lense of a conch shell. Low 2.
I read this band was #1 in the UK during their heyday. But the UK also gave us Coldplay and Oasis. That’s a big pile of “meh,” for me.
It was alright. I liked the harmonica.
I liked it. 3.5 stars.
7/10 Highlights: The Man who Told everything Catch the Sun Sea Song Here it Comes Firesuite
New to me. It's adventurous for a record to come up where I can't guess the era or genre, or it subverts my guesses. With a name like "Doves" I imagined it was 60's folk, but instead it was like an orchestrated y2k post-rock/krautrock drum circle meditating on simmering emotion and meandering musical vibes. Akin to getting a mental massage.
This was way different from what I expected, in a good way. Interesting blend of indie rock and electronic elements. A little long but still enjoyable.
After a run of variable albums it's always a joy to open up an old friend. Doves had two great albums, in my mind, and a third that was still very good. This is a moody, melodic, atmospheric album that sits at the bookend of the golden era of British indie. Not quite perfect but that’s a high bar for me.
This was definitely too slow for me, but it made for decent background music
It was fine. Not sure why the author thinks we to hear 2 Doves albums but 0 Lois Armstrong.
Very listenable
Of all the albums evers made, this sure is one of them. I am certain it exists, although would find it difficult to prove this. I know I listened to it but, other than "catch the sun" coming on as the clouds parted, I don't really remember it. Not that it is bad, or particularly good, just not especially memorable. Individually, I quite like the songs, but as a solid lump of "album", it just sort of happens. Probably not a worthy inclusion on the list, as I don't think anyone would have noticed if it wasn't there, but I also barely noticed that it was there. Tl;Dr: this album is magnolia paint.
3 stars. Did not hold my attention.
Good but nothing really stands out.
Seeing the release year and the cover, I was prepared for more forgettable early-2000s music, but some of the songs were actually really good!