"Cally" / "Lean into the Wind" Released: 12 April 2025
Constellations for the Lonely is the sixth studio album by British rock band Doves. The album was released by EMI North, the band's first for the label, on 28 February 2025.[1] Described by the band as a "dark" album, guitarist/singer Jez Williams said in an interview with NME, "We're living in pretty fucking horrible times, so we wanted to reflect that but give a little hope. [...] I see this as a future soul album for outsiders. We want you to feel understood."[1]
Constellations for the Lonely was released following a troubled period in the band's history, as singer/bassist Jimi Goodwin sought treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues following the release of previous album The Universal Want; this resulted in his being sidelined from touring for Constellations. The album was met with critical praise,[2] and charted at #5 on the UK Albums Chart and at #1 on the Scottish Albums Chart.
Background
Constellations for the Lonely follows over four years since the trio's comeback album The Universal Want and the cancelled proposed tour to support the album in 2020 and 2021. Singer/bassist Jimi Goodwin had been struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues, which prompted the band to cancel all remaining promotion for the album whilst Goodwin sought treatment.[1] In an interview with NME, Goodwin said that there was "a loose thread that kicked the record off," with album opener and first single "Renegade" being the first thing the band recorded together for the album. Goodwin told NME, "In our minds, it's got a Blade Runner-esque theme. It was inspired by the Roy Batty speech of how nothing lasts forever, you know, 'I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.'"[1] Jez Williams furthered, "This is quite a dark album. We started to write it after we cancelled The Universal Want tour, so some of the songs reflect that. We wanted 'Renegade' to start with this apocalyptic atmosphere. That's what felt right for us after such a difficult time. Jimi was with us, but we were trying to make sense of all the mess – and that fed into the album."[1]
The album features vocals from all three members throughout, with the Williams brothers leading second single "Cold Dreaming". Joe Taysom of Far Out stated that "Doves carry the weight equally between them, which has been their blessing. When one of them is falling, the others are there to ease the burden of responsibility, which has enabled them to survive everything thrown at them".[3] "Cold Dreaming" and "Last Year's Man" feature drummer Andy Williams singing lead vocals for the first time since "Shadows of Salford" from Some Cities (2005).
The band announced a live tour in promotion of the album for February and March 2025, without Jimi Goodwin due to his ongoing recovery. The live band were augmented by longtime collaborator Martin Rebelski as well as Nathan Sudders and Jake Evans.[4] The current line-up performed three intimate live shows in Stoke-on-Trent, Birkenhead and Hebden Bridge, in preparation for the tour, in November 2024.[4]
Doves issued a third digital-only single in advance of the album with "Saint Teresa" on 10 February 2025, shortly after the announcement of a special red-coloured 10" vinyl single release of deluxe edition bonus tracks "Cally" and "Lean into the Wind" for Record Store Day on 12 April 2025. "A Drop in the Ocean", the album's fourth single, preceded the album's release on 26 February 2025 as a digital download; an accompanying music video also premiered.
Constellations for the Lonely was met with resounding critical praise. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 82 based on ten reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[2]Louder Than War deemed the album their "Album of the Week" for its release week, and awarded the record a perfect rating.[10] Welsh independent website Buzz Magazine gave the album a 5 out of 5-star rating, stating "Constellations, with its songs of disconnection and reconnection in a volatile world, is an emotionally powerful listen that packs an authentic punch matched by its widescreen sonic beauty. Despite many obstacles thrown in their path, Doves seem to never fail to impress when they return and this album is no exception."[6]Record Collector awarded Constellations for the Lonely 4 out of 5 stars, commenting that "the atmosphere is more claustrophobic; the darkness heightened, with less of a buffer to the difficult feelings", whilst concluding that "Doves have endured intact, hopeful, and with a document to perseverance that is fitting for one of indie-rock's great survivors."[13]
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