From humble beginnings, Doves have risen to the point where the more excitable sections of the music press are now hailing them as the new Radiohead. Perhaps that should read the old Radiohead, however, since the Mancunian trio's rather direct take on rock-fuelled angst owes a much more obvious debt to The Bends than the experimentalism of Kid A. And therein lies the problem: Doves have a huge sense of ambition and some tunes to match, but their fatal flaw is that they lack a character of their own. There's plenty to enjoy on The Last Broadcast: epic blasts of guitar, sweeping arrangements and an overpowering sense of internal conviction that so many other bands conspicuously lack. None of this, however, can alter the fact that Jimi Goodwin is simply not a very distinctive singer, nor that the band as a whole project a personality-free image that makes them sound like less the sum of their parts. Intriguing - but ultimately underwhelming.
