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The Universal Want
by
The Universal Want Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 12 Ratings

  • Summary: The first full-length studio release for the British alternative rock band in over 10 years was produced with Dan Austin.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Uncut
    Sep 8, 2020
    90
    Their fifth album comes with a cathartic feel. Densely layered - four of the 11 tracks are over five minutes - it's also as complex as a Rubik's cube, the elaborate arrangements owing more to progressive rock than contemporary pop. [Oct 2020, p.38]
  2. Q Magazine
    Sep 8, 2020
    80
    This is heavy, yes, but it's never leaden. ... With The Universal Want - sad, wary, yet still alert to life's thwarted beauty - Doves are in the right place, the right time. [Sep 2020, p.106]
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  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    Sep 8, 2020
    80
    It may have taken over a decade for Doves to pour their souls into ‘The Universal Want’ but if it turns out to be their final transmission, it will be a worthy closing chapter to their epic legacy.
  4. The Guardian
    Sep 10, 2020
    80
    It’s all heartfelt, well done and audibly the work of a band more interested in consolidating their original audience than attempting to lure the teenagers away from Joel Corry and TikTok. The music follows suit.
  5. The Line of Best Fit
    Sep 11, 2020
    80
    Familiarity isn’t a bad thing when it’s done well, if we refer back to the four cycles of reformation, Doves land firmly in the bands who have their fire relit by a break category, The Universal Want is Doves in essential form.
  6. Glide Magazine
    Sep 11, 2020
    80
    Doves has stayed true to their sound and as the result they have made an album that fans will want to listen to over and over.
  7. Rolling Stone
    Sep 8, 2020
    50
    Doves amble as they surge, swirling in a middle distance between Radiohead and Coldplay. [Sep 2020, p.68]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 18 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Fraserbain
    Sep 11, 2020
    10
    Absolutely brilliant listen. Been far too long a wait but such a welcome return.
  2. Thomas_Waine
    Sep 15, 2020
    10
    An absolute blinder of an album! Been waiting for this, it didn't disappoint, they never do!
  4. kadoka
    Sep 11, 2020
    10
    Omg, I waited so long for this album. This band's return from their long hiatus is nothing short of epic. Every track is buzzing with aOmg, I waited so long for this album. This band's return from their long hiatus is nothing short of epic. Every track is buzzing with a beautiful energy and cathartic spirit. Already my album of the year. Not a bad track.… Expand
  5. ryeguy7879
    Sep 11, 2020
    10
    You couldn’t ask for a more relevant comeback album for these times. Each song has so much thought out detail, that ruling this one out on oneYou couldn’t ask for a more relevant comeback album for these times. Each song has so much thought out detail, that ruling this one out on one listen is a huge mistake. This is what I needed for such a scrappy 2020.… Expand
  6. Ricko
    Dec 24, 2020
    7
    A decade on from their last album but "The Universal Want" is very much in line with the folk tinged psychedelic rock you come to expect fromA decade on from their last album but "The Universal Want" is very much in line with the folk tinged psychedelic rock you come to expect from Doves. There is probably nothing here to rival their best work (although "Prisoners" is a standout track). Equally, this is an album that sits comfortably with their back catalog. They've still got what they had before.… Expand

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