The Manchester trio return with intricate production and flickers of former brilliance—but too often drift into grayscale introspection.

After the warmly received The Universal Want in 2020 marked a dignified return from their decade-long silence, Doves find themselves navigating trickier terrain on Constellations for the Lonely. With frontman Jimi Goodwin still easing his way back, vocal duties fall more heavily to the Williams brothers—understandable, especially mid-tour, but it’s a trade-off that occasionally dulls the emotional pull. Goodwin’s distinctive croon, equal parts weary and comforting, is missed when absent. On Orlando, his voice lends weight and vulnerability that’s harder to replicate elsewhere. The Williamses hold their own, but their delivery sometimes fades into the band’s atmospheric sprawl rather than commanding it.

Sonically, the album sticks close to the Doves blueprint—moody, layered, and masterfully produced. Renegade and Saint Teresa offer the kind of slow-burn grandeur fans have come to expect, but the emotional palette leans toward the monochrome. Despite the promise implied in their classic Black and White Town, this set rarely risks bursts of colour. There are moments of lift—Cold Dreaming nods to the motorik momentum of Jetstream, reminding us of the band’s power when propulsion meets melancholy. But too often, Constellations feels more like a beautiful drift than a purposeful journey. While the textures remain rich, the emotional highs are fewer and farther between.