When Planes Mistaken For Stars (one of my all time favourite
bands) called it quits in 2008 I was gutted - literally inconsolable. When
Gared O’Donnell, the vocalist and guitarist of PMFS announced his solo project
Hawks and Doves, and released his debut 7” single ‘Hush Money’, it seemed like
there was hope. That was early 2009 and nothing had been heard from Hawks and
Doves since. One single and an excellent cover of Springsteens ‘I’m On Fire’
cannot keep a rock n roll fan satisfied for very long. Other members from PMFS
went on to form Git Some, and put out an album which was cool, but never
reached the stunning heights of PMFS. I was very sad for a long time. A
few days ago I found out that Hawks and Doves were back with a full length
album. The word is elated.
Something needs to be said about Hawks and Doves. When PMFS
split O’Donnell was forced to move into his mother’s basement with nothing but
his many demons - rock bottom for a man who spent over a decade on the road with
his band. Hawks and Doves was born out of this situation.
Following the progression of the later PMFS records, the
approach of the new record is all brooding sombre verses leading into loud
driving choruses which fashion mental images of man and guitar thrashing about
on a small and dimly lit stage. O’Donnell has clearly continued his diet of
cheap whisky and razor blades which give him one of the most distinct,
disturbing and haunting voices in modern rock n roll. I missed this terribly.
It’s always so great when a band or artist manages to return
from near obscurity with renewed fire, newly acquired humility, and a great
record.
