Kingdom of Rust

The band recorded the album in a converted farmhouse barn in Cheshire, England over the course of 2006 through early 2009. Producer John Leckie, who has worked with Radiohead, The Stone Roses, and The Fall among others, was set to co-produce the entire album with the band, but was unable due to previous commitments. Instead, Leckie produced two tracks from the album—"Winter Hill" and "10:03"[http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/54346/doves-releasing-kingdom-of-rust.html Doves Releasing "Kingdom of Rust" – Glide Magazine] (as well as the B-side "Push Me On")—and the band worked with Dan Austin on the remaining nine songs. Tom Rowlands of the electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers also provided the song arrangement for "10:03".[http://www.buzzine.com/2009/03/doves-announce-spring-tour/ Buzzine >> Doves Announce Spring Tour]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

The album was borne out of a strained writing and recording process. Between previous album Some Cities and Kingdom of Rust, vocalist/bassist Jimi Goodwin lost both of his parents, guitarist/vocalist Jez Williams split up from a girlfriend after seven years together, and all three band members suffered writer's block. "You'd think, 'Great, the amount of material I'll get from this' – but it went the opposite way. I couldn't concentrate on anything," Jez said in an interview with Simon Hattenstone of The Guardian. In the same interview, the band admitted that Kingdom of Rust became something of an "albatross" to finish, with the trio having been "obsessed over the idea that they were just repeating themselves": "If it sounds familiar, get rid [of it]," said Jez. "That was the golden rule."

The album was preceded by first single "Kingdom of Rust" on 30 March 2009. Doves also offered the album's lead track "Jetstream" as a free download on their website, starting from 28 January 2009.{{Cite web |url=http://angryape.com/news/2009/01/28/doves-king-of-rust-album-details-revealed |title=Doves Kingdom of Rust Album Details Revealed |access-date=29 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318031205/http://angryape.com/news/2009/01/28/doves-king-of-rust-album-details-revealed |archive-date=18 March 2012 |url-status=dead }} Regarding "Jetstream", the band mentioned being fans of the Vangelis score to Blade Runner, and wrote the song as "an imaginary song for the closing credits on Ridley Scott's classic."[https://stereogum.com/archives/new-doves-jetstream_048661.html New Doves – "Jetstream" – Stereogum] The German band Kraftwerk was another stated influence for "Jetstream".{{cite web |title=Jetstream – SongFacts |url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=15220 |work=Songfacts.com |accessdate=13 April 2009}} In an interview with NME, the band said "House of Mirrors" is "about your past haunting you."{{cite web |title=House of Mirrors – SongFacts |url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=15229 |work=Songfacts.com |accessdate=13 April 2009}} A documentary on the making of the album (produced by Soup Collective and directed by long-time Doves collaborator Matthew Norman), as well as a track-by-track discussion with Jimi and Andy, premiered exclusively on the official NME website in mid April 2009.[https://www.nme.com/doves/video NME.com – Doves] The single "Kingdom of Rust" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 28,[https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/ Doves – Chart Stats] while second single "Winter Hill" became the band's first single to fail to enter the Top 100, peaking at number 148. A third single release for "House of Mirrors" was canceled.

In promotion for the album, Doves appeared on Later... with Jools Holland on 14 April 2009, performing "Kingdom of Rust", "Winter Hill", and "10:03". They later appeared on the American late-night talk shows Last Call with Carson Daly on 28 May 2009, which featured a pre-recorded video of the band performing "Kingdom of Rust" live at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on 16 May 2009, and then on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on 5 June 2009, performing "The Outsiders".

The album is dedicated to Jimi Goodwin's father, Francis James Goodwin, who died on 23 December 2008.

In a 2010 interview discussing the band's first best-of compilation album The Places Between, Goodwin elaborated on the band's collective desire to take a break from recording and touring after Kingdom of Rust, a routine he described as an "album-tour-album-tour treadmill": "After Kingdom of Rust, we really do need to recharge the batteries in that respect... It's nice just to have a bit of breathing space. We just wanted to get off that whole album-tour-album-tour treadmill. None of us are ready to face going into the studio for another two years."{{cite web |first=Avril |last=Cadden |title=Doves plan to fly again following post-RockNess break |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/music/music-news/doves-plan-to-fly-again-following-1057510 |date=28 April 2010 |accessdate=23 November 2020 |work=Daily Record}} The band then embarked on a recording hiatus, which subsequently lasted until 2020 and their fifth studio album The Universal Want.

{{Music ratings

| MC = 77/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/doves/kingdomofrust |title=Doves: Kingdom of Rust (2009): Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=22 June 2010 |archive-date=12 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412141028/http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/doves/kingdomofrust |url-status=dead }}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |first=Andrew |last=Leahey |title=Kingdom of Rust – Overview |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1503981|pure_url=yes}} |publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=22 June 2010}}

| rev2 = The Guardian

| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |first=Alexis |last=Petridis |title=Pop review: Doves, Kingdom of Rust – Music – The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/apr/03/doves-kingdom-of-rust-review |newspaper=The Guardian |date=3 April 2009 |accessdate=22 June 2010}}

| rev3 = Mojo

| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}Mojo, May 2009 issue, p.97

| rev4 = NME

| rev4Score = 8/10{{cite magazine |first=Alan |last=Woodhouse |title=NME Album Reviews: Doves – Kingdom of Rust |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/doves/10293 |magazine=NME|date=2 April 2009 |accessdate=22 June 2010}}

| rev5 = Pitchfork

| rev5Score = 7.2/10{{cite web |first=Stuart |last=Berman |title=Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Doves: Kingdom of Rust |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12904-kingdom-of-rust/ |work=Pitchfork|date=15 April 2009 |accessdate=22 June 2010}}

| rev6 = Q

| rev6Score = {{Rating|4|5}}Q magazine, May 2009 issue, p.108

| rev7 = Rolling Stone

| rev7Score = {{Rating|3|5}}Rolling Stone RS 1076, 16 April 2009

| rev8 = Spin

| rev8Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine |first=Josh |last=Modell |title=Doves, 'Kingdom of Rust' (Astralwerks/Heavenly) – Spin Magazine Online |url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/doves-kingdom-rust-astralwerksheavenly |magazine=Spin |date=19 March 2009 |accessdate=22 June 2010}}

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |first=Piers |last=Martin |title=Doves – Kingdom of Rust – Review – Uncut.co.uk |url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/the_doves/reviews/12998 |magazine=Uncut |accessdate=22 June 2010}}

}}

Kingdom of Rust was met with positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 77, based on 23 reviews. Both The Independent and Digital Spy awarded the album 5 out of 5 stars,[http://www.digitalspy.com/music/a151617/doves-kingdom-of-rust.html link Music – Album Review – Doves: 'Kingdom of Rust' – Digital Spy][https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-doves-kingdom-of-rust-heavenly-1660855.html Album: Doves, Kingdom of Rust (Heavenly) – Reviews, Music – The Independent] Gigwise gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and noted that the album is "the most daring album of Doves' career to date,"[http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/albums/50227/Doves---Kingdom-Of-Rust Doves – 'Kingdom of Rust' (Heavenly Records) Released 06/04/09 – GIGWISE] and The Observer noted in a glowing review that, "Previous albums never quite lived up to the band's facility for knockout singles, but this one holds the attention. There's a dreamy, addictive sadness to proceedings, their customary gruff melancholy now inflated to match the panoramic setting."[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/mar/15/doves-kingdom-of-rust-review Rock review: Doves, Kingdom of Rust | Music | The Observer]

{{track listing

| headline =

| extra_column = Lead vocals

| all_writing = Jez Williams, Jimi Goodwin, and Andy Williams

| title1 = Jetstream

| length1 = 5:30

| extra1 = J. Williams

| title2 = Kingdom of Rust

| length2 = 5:11

| extra2 = Goodwin

| title3 = The Outsiders

| length3 = 3:28

| extra3 = Goodwin

| title4 = Winter Hill

| length4 = 5:18

| extra4 = Goodwin

| title5 = 10:03

| length5 = 4:04

| extra5 = Goodwin

| title6 = The Greatest Denier

| length6 = 3:59

| extra6 = Goodwin

| title7 = Birds Flew Backwards

| length7 = 2:51

| extra7 = Goodwin

| title8 = Spellbound

| length8 = 5:39

| extra8 = Goodwin

| title9 = Compulsion

| length9 = 5:14

| extra9 = J. Williams

| title10 = House of Mirrors

| length10 = 4:20

| extra10 = Goodwin

| title11 = Lifelines

| length11 = 4:26

| extra11 = Goodwin

}}

{{track listing

| headline = iTunes-only bonus tracks

| extra_column = Lead vocals

| title12 = Ship of Fools

| length12 = 4:29

| extra12 = Goodwin

| title13 = The Last Son

| length13 = 4:49

| extra13 = Goodwin

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Japan bonus track

| extra_column = Lead vocals

| title12 = Push Me On

| length12 = 3:55

| extra12 = Goodwin

}}

On {{start date|2009|6|15|df=y}}, instrumental versions of all 11 tracks on the album were released as Instrumentals of Rust, exclusively to digital download outlets worldwide.

1. "Jetstream" (Instrumental) – 5:32
2. "Kingdom of Rust" (Instrumental) – 5:13
3. "The Outsiders" (Instrumental) – 3:29
4. "Winter Hill" (Instrumental) – 5:20
5. "10:03" (Instrumental) – 4:05
6. "The Greatest Denier" (Instrumental) – 3:59
7. "Birds Flew Backwards" (Instrumental) – 2:54
8. "Spellbound" (Instrumental) – 5:42
9. "Compulsion" (Instrumental) – 5:16
10. "House of Mirrors" (Instrumental) – 4:18
11. "Lifelines" (Instrumental) – 4:25

• Jimi Goodwin – lead vocals, bass, guitars, backing vocals on "Jetstream" and "Compulsion"
• Jez Williams – guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Jetstream" and "Compulsion", mixing on "10:03" and "House of Mirrors"
• Andy Williams – drums, percussion, backing vocals, harmonica on "The Last Son"

• Martin Rebelski – piano (tracks 2, 5, 10-11)
• Belinda Hammond – first violin ("Kingdom of Rust" and "Birds Flew Backwards")
• Oliver Morris – second violin ("Kingdom of Rust" and "Birds Flew Backwards")
• Alexandra Fletcher – viola ("Kingdom of Rust" and "Birds Flew Backwards")
• Elinor Gow – cello ("Kingdom of Rust" and "Birds Flew Backwards")
• Baluji Shrivastav – dilruba on "Birds Flew Backwards"

• Doves – production, mixing
• Dan Austin – production (except "Winter Hill" and "10:03"), engineering, mixing
• John Leckie – production ("Winter Hill" and "10:03")
• Adam Whittaker – additional engineering ("Winter Hill" and "10:03")
• Will Hensley – mixing assistant, Pro Tools
• Zac Froud – mixing assistant
• Michael H. Brauer – mixing

• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Rick Myers – sleve design
• Deirdre O'Callaghan – band photo

{{reflist}}

{{Doves}}

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Category:Doves (band) albums

Category:2009 albums

Category:Heavenly Recordings albums

Category:Albums produced by Dan Austin