Doves

North-West England's Doves — brothers Jez (guitar) and Andy Williams (drums), and Jimi Goodwin (bass) — are soaked to the bone with the sometimes harsh realities of life above London, but have created a globally euphoric sound from their distinctly regional sources of inspiration. Their 2002 major breakthrough single, "There Goes the Fear," is rooted in a dark place but soars to unimaginable heights, 2005's "Black and White Town" is immensely uplifting despite its lyrical core of social inequality, and 2009's "Kingdom of Rust" finds beauty is desolation. Magnificent. More of Doves' world unfolds, in Next Steps.

Here, Doves affirm their lasting excellence with a blend of album tracks, live songs, and B-sides: the heavyweight "Darker" stands out from 2003 compilation Lost Sides; "Jetstream," from 2009's Kingdom of Rust, was conceived as if it could be played over the closing titles of cult sci-fi movie Blade Runner (the band confessed to being fans of Vangelis' original score); and "M62 Song," from 2002's The Last Broadcast, was rumoured to have been recorded under a fly-over on the motorway after which it was named.

In England, they say, "It's grim up north": well, maybe . . . but not when Doves play. The Manchester trio has not only strengthened the Northern heritage of the Verve, the Charlatans, and Oasis, it has also carved out a place of its own, where solid hooks are given a cloak of gravity-defying ethereality. Born quite literally from the ashes of Madchester scene club outfit Sub Sub (whose studio burned down in 1996), Doves used a phoenix-like rebirth as its starting point in '98. Here we chart the band's glorious ascent via choice cuts from the dreamlike debut Lost Souls (2000), rousing follow-up The Last Broadcast (2002), the solid Some Cities (2005), and their masterwork to date, Kingdom of Rust (2009). Dark, brilliant, blissful.