Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Music

All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000

Upcoming &
Recent Releases

sort by namesort by score

62 50 Cent
70 AFI
65 Air
70 Alice In Chains
53 Kris Allen
78 Amerie
79 Annie
76 Anti-Pop Consortium
75 Arctic Monkeys
82 Atlas Sound
77 The Avett Brothers
67 Backstreet Boys
59 Bad Lieutenant
68 Devendra Banhart
71 Lou Barlow
88 Baroness
69 Basement Jaxx
81 David Bazan
72 Beak>
84 Biffy Clyro
72 The Big Pink
95 Big Star
46 Billy Talent
75 The Black Crowes
72 The Black Heart Procession
68 Blitzen Trapper
75 BLK JKS
53 Bon Jovi
76 A.A. Bondy
65 Boys Like Girls
76 Brand New
73 Tyondai Braxton
83 Brother Ali
72 Ian Brown
75 Michael Buble
77 Built To Spill
61 Colbie Caillat
78 Califone
69 Mariah Carey
81 Brandi Carlile
72 Julian Casablancas
83 Rosanne Cash
71 Castanets
82 Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
64 Exene Cervenka
79 Vic Chesnutt
81 Circulatory System
67 The Clean
84 The Clientele
72 Cold Cave
85 Converge
76 The Cribs
79 Cymbals Eat Guitars
62 Dashboard Confessional
71 Datarock
59 Dead By Sunrise
76 Dead Man's Bones
77 Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
73 Do Make Say Think
63 The Dodos
77 Drive-By Truckers
67 Bob Dylan
58 Echo & The Bunnymen
61 Electric Six
44 The Entrance Band
69 Fanfarlo
71 Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard
63 Felix Da Housecat
68 Fink
66 Orenda Fink
79 The Flaming Lips
66 Flight Of The Conchords
79 Florence And The Machine
67 John Fogerty
83 Fuck Buttons
71 Nelly Furtado
47 Gary Go
68 Ghostface Killah
79 Girls
69 Gossip
62 David Gray
66 David Guetta
65 Calvin Harris
79 Richard Hawley
74 Mayer Hawthorne
66 Headlights
79 HEALTH
67 Hockey
67 Whitney Houston
80 Hudson Mohawke
68 Imogen Heap
59 Jack Ingram
79 Islands
74 Jamie T
65 Jay-Z
51 Jet
68 Daniel Johnston
76 Norah Jones
77 Karen O And The Kids
72 Toby Keith
69 Kid Cudi
75 Kid Sister
66 Kings Of Convenience
62 Sean Kingston
64 KISS
63 Mark Knopfler
73 Kris Kristofferson
68 KRS-One & Buckshot
76 La Roux
85 Miranda Lambert
71 Sondre Lerche
56 Juliette Lewis
62 Leona Lewis
82 Lightning Bolt
74 Little Dragon
44 Pixie Lott
83 Patty Loveless
73 Lyle Lovett
79 Lucero
75 Baaba Maal
77 Madness
84 Madonna
85 Manic Street Preachers
61 Maps
73 Mario
55 Massive Attack
57 Matisyahu
62 John Mayer
66 Tim McGraw
65 Brian McKnight
79 Mew
75 Mika
68 Amy Millan
76 Mission Of Burma
75 Molina And Johnson
80 Monsters Of Folk
66 Morrissey
76 The Mountain Goats
62 Múm
72 Muse
66 Willie Nelson
82 Nirvana
96 Nirvana
80 No Age
71 Noah And The Whale
75 Noisettes
79 Nudge
64 OneRepublic
47 Dolores O'Riordan
74 Os Mutantes
78 Osso
67 Alec Ounsworth
81 Owen
73 Paramore
78 Pastels And Tenniscoats
80 Pearl Jam
69 Jemina Pearl
65 Phish
61 Pitbull
79 A Place To Bury Strangers
79 Polvo
72 Porcupine Tree
72 Port O'Brien
79 Q-Tip
79 R.E.M.
88 Raekwon
69 Rain Machine
75 Dizzee Rascal
74 The Raveonettes
79 Real Estate
81 Rodrigo Y Gabriela
66 Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
78 Russian Circles
69 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
78 Say Anything
61 Sally Shapiro
78 Shudder To Think
70 Simian Mobile Disco
58 Simple Minds
80 Slayer
61 The Slits
58 Spiral Stairs
55 Steel Panther
75 Sufjan Stevens
52 Rod Stewart
68 Joss Stone
83 Barbra Streisand
77 A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74 Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
79 The Swell Season
80 David Sylvian
83 Taken By Trees
80 Tegan And Sara
68 The Temper Trap
78 The Dutchess & The Duke
71 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
74 Them Crooked Vultures
72 Themselves
82 They Might Be Giants
66 J Tillman
69 Times New Viking
57 Tokio Hotel
67 Trey Songz
73 Frank Turner
71 The Twilight Sad
60 Carrie Underwood
56 The Used
68 Various Artists
69 Various Artists
77 The Very Best
70 Kurt Vile
65 Vivian Girls
71 Volcano Choir
73 Rufus Wainwright
78 Wale
57 Weezer
81 White Denim
76 Why?
83 Wild Beasts
80 Wildbirds & Peacedrums
69 Robbie Williams
59 Andrew W.K.
65 Wolfmother
84 The xx
79 Yo La Tengo
83 Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
52 Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59 Zero 7

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Some Cities

EMAILPRINTby Doves

Doves reviews
72
8.2 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 28 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 64 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >

Album Info

Label: Capitol / Heavenly

Release Date: 01 March 2005

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Alternative, Rock

Summary

Ben Hiller (Elbow, Blur) produced the Manchester band's follow-up to 'The Last Broadcast.'

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Uncut

Confirms Doves as the country's most innovative rock group. [Mar 2005, p.94]

100

E! Online

Some Cities brims with confidence, as the band delivers a mix of Motown rhythms and windswept melodies with unblinking force.

Read Full Review >
91

Entertainment Weekly

There's an almost antiquated quality to this wondrously exhilarating, shimmering pop masterpiece. [4 Mar 2005, p.73]

90

Drowned In Sound

Some of the radio-friendly oompa of ‘The Last Broadcast’ has been cut back, and the new record bears more resemblance to their debut ‘Lost Souls’ in its ashen-faced detachment and bloodied-yet-unbowed pride.

Read Full Review >
90

Under The Radar

A crowning achievement. [#9]

89

Austin Chronicle

Some Cities builds on the band's propensity for melodic grandeur and achieves pure sonic bliss in the bargain.

Read Full Review >
82

cokemachineglow

Some Cities is easily their best since Lost Souls, and while repeated listens won't likely reveal it better than their debut, it's often equally as hypnotizing.

Read Full Review >
80

Q Magazine

It is only after about the fifth listen that the true wonder of Some Cities slowly starts revealing itself. [Mar 2005, p.97]

80

Billboard

"Some Cities" is less epic, but no less important, than its predecessors.

Read Full Review >
80

Urb

They throw light on their shadowy melancholia, resulting in positively euphoric tunes. [Mar 2005, p.111]

80

Dot Music

Whilst “Some Cities” has less radio-friendly singles than “The Last Broadcast”, it is perhaps a more cohesive piece of work.

Read Full Review >
80

All Music Guide

Doves' best yet.

Read Full Review >
80

Lost At Sea

The album has a mood that runs throughout, unfolding from nothing into something extraordinary.

Read Full Review >
78

Pitchfork

In the three years since Last Broadcast, Doves have cultivated a better understanding of their strengths and limitations, and Some Cities beams with a revivified looseness.

Read Full Review >
75

Spin

Like Coldplay killing time with the Happy Mondays at Manchester's Hacienda club. [Mar 2005, p.92]

74

Filter

Floating where they once soared... Doves safely straddle anthemic familiarity and hipster erudition. [#15, p.104]

70

Neumu.net

Suggests a progression and a retreat at the same time.

Read Full Review >
70

The Guardian

Anthemic, challenging pop.

Read Full Review >
70

The Onion (A.V. Club)

As has always been the case with Doves, aural environment-building sometimes seems to be all the band has going for it, like on "Someday Soon," which uses sudden dramatic hushes and angelic choirs to pump life into a ballad that's practically melody-free. But at least the practice helps Doves make its few great songs count.

Read Full Review >
70

Blender

Doves' best songs are full of life and genuinely moving, like an older, wiser Coldplay. [Apr 2005, p.113]

70

PopMatters

Some Cities is not as strong as its two predecessors, but it does continue the band's run of consistently pleasing albums.

Read Full Review >
60

Rolling Stone

Some Cities is less self-consciously arty than Souls, though the murky atmospherics and nondistinct Brit voices here will likely confine the album to the nether regions of America's Top 100.

Read Full Review >
60

Splendid

While there are plenty of MTV2-ready tunes, the record doesn't bear much repetition.

Read Full Review >
60

Alternative Press

There's generally more of the same here, but Doves' alternate influences this time around... don't exactly add up to a great band "stretching out." It's more like they're grabbing at straws. [May 2005, p.134]

50

Mojo

Sadly, the songs are less noticeable than the urge to strangle the drummer. [Mar 2005, p.101]

33

Stylus Magazine

Doves’ strength lies in their careful sculpting of the sonic and the emotional, and here they’ve restrained their palette and scope so much that the result is grey.

Read Full Review >
30

Village Voice

Bogged in reverb tanks, delays, and other swirly effects, Some Cities' production masks their slovenly musicianship.

Read Full Review >
20

Playlouder

Like most of the cities Doves sing about, these songs are grey, drizzly, often unpleasant, and more often than not... very, very dull.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 64 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sean H gave it a10:
Sing Jimmi..Sing! Blow your lungs out! Very nice piece of work!

mo l gave it a9:
It's almost a ten worthy achievement, but due to some of the easilly forgotten segments of the album, it falls slighlt short. Most of these are after the song "Walk In Fire", which is the album's highlight. Great album though!

Seamus S gave it an8:
I'd give it an 8 1/2 if I could. it's incredible but not masterpeicey

Greg H gave it a9:
Beautiful. Layer upon layer of melodic, moody rock, which soothes rather than bores. From Motown to 90s to New Age, it's tough to name an influence these chaps don't draw from. And successfully at that.

JP Nesker gave it a10:
This record makes my top 3 of 2005, along with "Plans" by Death Cab, "Man-Made" by the Fannies, and "Illinoise" by Sufjan Stevens...anyone who isn't moved by the peerless pop genius of doves has no musical soul...nuff said.

Mack B gave it a10:
Nine months of owning this album (and much listening) have not dulled its intensity or impact. I understand that this music might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you have enjoyed previous Doves releases, then this one shouldn't dissapoint. To me, it seems like they took the best elements of their first two albums and combined them here - without rehashing previous material and yet still maintaining a trademark sound. I can certainly understand that enjoying music is related to an emotional connection - but that said, I think that the Doves' music is often times described as 'boring' by those who lack the attention span to sit through one listen of their albums. (As a side note, Elbow seems to receive the same treatment, despite making such enjoyable albums.) There are plenty of hooks - but many of these songs are slow to develop, and grow on you after multiple listens. A single listen might seem disappointing to those who need instant gratification from their listening experience. But, to each his own. To me, this one is definitely a keeper.

Tony S gave it a9:
Some Cities, is a great album, not quite as good as their first "Lost Souls" but an improvement over "The Last Broadcast". This album is full of great songs. My personal favourites are, Snowden, Almost Forgot Myself, Someday soon and the towering, Sky starts falling. Sky starts falling is a an almost, "Jam" like tune, Jimi Goodwins vocals even have a Weller like feel to them, the drums pound and the guitars soa, it is the most fully realsied and formed Doves song we have yet to hear, when I first heard it, I knew it had to be a single. Doves are one of the 5 best bands in the world and have been for about 5 years but they are in such a subtle and understated way, that they will never get the acclaim for this. Long may they carry on producing records of this quality.

Read more user comments >

Popular on CBS sites: SEC Football | NFL | Video Game Cheats | iPhone | Video Game Reviews | Notebooks | Antivirus Software

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use