I’ve been wanting to review albums for this blog, but I decided that I’m going to approach it differently.  I will be listening to albums in their entirety during one of my longs runs, and review the albums on the musical merits, but also rate how well the album works while running.

Doves – Kingdom of Rust

Released on April 6th, 2009, this is the first album in over four years from the English band, and it’s long overdue!  Doves has always been one of my favorite bands, a melancholy swirling of guitars and drums which fits well with the gray, windy days of early spring here in eastern Washington.  I bought this album on the day that it came out, and it’s a grower, sounding better with repeated listens. I played this album in my headphones while running a hilly 8.5 mile loop through Pullman, bundled up in high 30s, cloudy and breezy weather.  With a few exceptions, this album was perfect for the circumstances of my run.

Track 1, Jetstream, blends house music with rock, driven though the entire song by the steady sixteenth notes on the high-hat, which sounds particularly cool with the flanger effects.  The song is a very gradual buildup, leading to an awesome distorted guitar riff at 4:22, and then concluding with full-on guitar rock, the high-hat still behind it.  A great opening track, and great to start a run with.  Rating 10/10.  Runner’s rating 10/10.

Track 2, Kingdom of Rust, is my favorite of the album.  The band has two singers, and I definitely prefer the guy that sings this one, and most of the other songs on the album.  He’s got smoky, deep, and slightly raspy voice, and it suits their sound very well.  This song has a country two-step beat and strings, with a quiet beginning that builds up to Doves’ typical epic levels.  Such a great song.  Rating 10/10.  Runner’s rating 10/10.

Track 3, The Outsiders, is a straight-up rock song.  Driven by a fast-paced drum beat and heavily distorted bass guitar, it’s a great running tune.  Rating 8/10.  Runner’s rating 10/10.

Track 4, Winter Hill, sounds much like Doves did in previous album.  A good song, nothing special beyond the cool bit with flutes.  A little slow for a running song.  Rating 7/10.  Runner’s rating 7/10.

Track 5, 10:03, did not start well as a running tune.  But holy crap what a buildup!  The buildup leads to a U2-style guitar thrashing.  Rating 8/10.  Runner’s rating:  beginning 1/10, end 10/10, overall 7/10.

Track 6, although quieter, is driven by a solid drum line.  A sadder song, it suits the cold, gray weather that I was running in.  The end is awesome!  Rating 8/10.  Runner’s rating 8/10.

Track 7, Birds Flew Backwards, was my least favorite.  Pretty, but no beat and difficult to run to.  Rating 5/10.  Runner’s rating 1/10.

Track 8, Spellbound, is a high energy 6/8 time signature tune.  My stride rate was just slightly faster than the beat of the song, which annoyed me more than expected.  Solid song, but nothing special.  Rating 7/10.  Runner’s rating 8/10.

Track 9, Compulsion, is to put it simply, fucking awesome!  It’s the best song outside of the two opening tracks.  It might be my bias as a bass player, but the funky bass line in this song sells it, and I found myself wanting to dance a bit while I ran.  The shimmering guitar in the background adds great effect.  Rating 10/10.  Runner’s rating 9/10.

Track 10, House of Mirrors, is arena-rock Doves.  The drummer is whacking the snare full-strength on every beat, as he’s done on many prior songs, and it’s a great sound.  Good tempo, great to run to.  Rating 9/10.  Runner’s rating 10/10.

Track 11, Lifelines, concludes the album.  I didn’t find anything special about it, but it’s a solid end.  Rating 7/10.  Runner’s rating 5/10.

Overall, I rate the album a 9.5 out of 10, and a 9 out of 10 as a runner.  It’s rapidly becoming one of my favorite running albums.  This band has not gotten the press it deserves here in the USA, and that needs to change.  You must check these guys out!

Running for last week:
Monday April 6th, 2.78 miles at an 8:46/mi pace.
Wednesday April 8th, 7.45 miles at 9:02/mi.
Thursday April 9th, 3.12 miles at 8:51/mi.
Saturday April 11th, 4.13 miles at 8:50/mi.
Sunday April 12th, 4.70 miles at 7:44/mi!  This run killed me.

Total for the week:  22.18 miles!  A very solid week overall, feeling healthy, and happy to be over 20 miles per week.