From the very first piano chord, there’s no mistaking it: Doves are back, and doing what they’ve always done best. Constellations for the Lonely doesn’t reinvent their melancholy sound, nor should it. This is a comforting, majestic homecoming album, not a statement of reinvention, and it’s glorious for it. There’s a sadness hanging over the record - frontman Jimi Goodwin, long the unmistakable voice of the band, is present on several tracks, but unable to take on the full-time role due to personal struggles, and so the Williams brothers step forward. The result is a patchwork album that holds together beautifully, precisely because of this vulnerability. You can feel the history, the wear and tear, and how badly these guys still want to make the music that matters. And they’ve done it.

Opener Renegade is an instant classic - everything we ever loved about Doves concentrated into one staggering return. There’s not much in the way of rockers here, this is a ballad-heavy album, heavy on strings, low-end groove, and introspective lyrics about survival and sorrow. Lush strings, melancholic melodies, drizzle-grey chords, Jimi Goodwin’s voice was absolutely everywhere back in 2002, and Constellations for the Lonely brings that voice back with no updates, and no reinvention, using the exact same sonic language, but now it carries even more weight, because we’re all older. Them and us. In its own quiet way, the album says: we see you. We’ve all been through it too. That’s why it resonates, and that’s why they deserve your support. Constellations for the Lonely is a reminder of why Doves mattered in the first place, and proof that they still do.