#16: Some Cities

Doves: Some Cities
Here's the deal: Doves are a good, not great, rock band. They do nothing particularly well; much has been made elsewhere of frontman Jimi Goodwin's gruff vocal stylings, and I also personally don't exactly like their live shows, which usually feature videos playing behind the band. Then why have I been to see them twice, and would go again? Why did I listen to Some Cities just as much, if not more, as any other disc this year?

Doves are nothing if not hardworking and consistent. I thought Some Cities was below the standards of The Last Broadcast, but I was way wrong. It has the the same requisite anthems and ballads of their previous work, and their sound, in my opinion, keeps getting more polished. My favorite moment on the album is the noisy, siren-esque guitar solo on "Sky Starts Falling," (see Last Broadcast parallel "Pounding"), which is a beautiful energetic release to close the album. Some Cities confirms that, for anyone studying for any major exams right about now, you cant go wrong with Music-->Artists-->Doves-->All.