For a brief period,
Doves ruled the roost when it came to 21st century Brit-pop. Their music connected the dots between
OK Computer-era
Radiohead,
Coldplay, and
U2, a welcome combination for those unwilling to forgive
U2's
Pop or follow
Radiohead down their
Kid A rabbit hole. As a result,
Lost Souls and
The Last Broadcast both went platinum in the U.K., spawning no less than six Top 40 singles in the process. Those two albums dominate
The Places Between, a greatest-hits compilation that focuses on the band’s glory days. To their credit,
Doves have yet to release a dud of a record -- even the band’s lowest-selling album,
Kingdom of Rust, went gold -- and they’ve collected their strongest material here, meaning the records that didn’t sell as well are still represented by strong, melodic tracks. “Andalucia,” the compilation’s only new track, holds its own against 14 established hits, a sign that
Doves aren’t quite done with their reign of the U.K. charts. [For the true
Doves fanatic,
The Places Between was also released in a triple-disc package, including a bonus disc of rare recordings and a DVD featuring the band’s music videos.] ~ Andrew Leahey