Doves

Life for the Doves started at the outset of the 1990s when, at the height of Madchester, Sub Sub released the disco-charged, acid house-dripping single "Ain't No Love, Ain't No Use." Disillusioned with the faceless entity of house, the trio traded in their backing tracks for real instruments. The new attitude needed a new name: Doves. The Manchester trio's debut offers a whirling flourish of guitars that ebb and flow with an intensity on par with Travis or Radiohead only less wistful. In fact, one hangover from the band's house days is their ability to accentuate the positive. With a wash of distorted guitars and steady, booming rhythms, Doves create widescreen music that employs the occasional falsetto for dramatic, melancholy-meets-mayhem effect. Doves are still very much an evolving entity, so while it's true that few of their songs resemble each other, it's also true that they sit well together -- very well, indeed.