It's a Wicked Mind / With an Axe to Grind

Those of you who were waiting on their next musical purchasing decision until after I had revealed my top ten releases from 2005 can finally breathe easy--it's here.

#10) Doves: Some Cities. I'll admit right up front that I'm not thrilled that Doves are moving further and further from the atmospheric band they were when they released Lost Souls. I'm all for bands evolving, but these boys seem to be evolving into more of a typical British rock group with every album.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it?

Still, there's one thing that I believe sets Doves apart from the rest of their countrymen--the production. It's my little pet theory that Doves past life as an electronica band has served them well, giving their tunes more sonic "weirdness" than their counterparts. The best example of this can be found on the sublime "Snowden," whose hook sounds like it's either being made by an e-bowed guitar, an altered vocal, a theremin...or all three at once.

The more straightforward songs (i.e., the lead-off single) are loaded at the beginning of the album, which makes for something of a stylistic shift once the "four on the floor" material is done with. I don't really think they're best served by trying to make hits--they're stronger than that. Then again, I think it's working for them, so if it helps finance the next album I'm not going to complain all that much.

So get it for "Snowden," then see what else on here strikes your fancy. Better yet, start with Lost Souls.