Constellations For The Lonely

‘Constellations for the Lonely’ is an intricate and masterful record from a band at the top of their game.

Strength in adversity is a powerful combination in music, and Doves have it in spades, delivering an inspiring sixth album.

Lonesome sounds, but comfortably familiar. [Feb 2025, p.34]

Due to the circumstances, guitarist Jez Williams takes the lead on more tracks than is customary, including gorgeous, Smiths-referencing highlight Last Year’s Man. But despite a difficult incubation, Doves soar here.[ Mar 2025, p.90]

Doves have endured intact, hopeful, and with a document to perseverance that is fitting for one of indie-rock’s great survivors. [Feb 2025, p.100]

Yes, this music is consistently atmospheric and adroit—be it the groaning heartfelt key notes on “Orlando,” evoking a church organ reverberating through on the fritz speakers, or the undulating guitars on “In the Butterfly House” mingling with some strums that sound exotic, such as a sitar. However, the contrasting styles between the Williams and Goodwin fronted tracks makes for no shortage of pleasant surprises.

The vocal shifts and band restructuring may cause some turbulence, but when everything clicks, as it does on the album’s most decisive moments, the result is just as stirring as anything they’ve done before. Whether this marks a transitional phase or the beginning of a new era remains to be seen, but for now, Constellations shines brightly enough to guide them forward.

Andy Williams takes a more prominent role, with Doves still generating tones that have become familiar in their catalog. However, the LP contains fewer standout tracks and will not offer the same immediacy as their previous works.