Doveman - The Acrobat

“Doveman plays lamp rock / Doveman plays insomnia pop,” the Doveman Website tells you. Apart from that introduction, I didn’t really know what I was getting into. I can tell you Doveman’s The Acrobat is beautiful, jazzy and melancholy. Minimalistic and complex, “The Acrobat” pricks at your mind and your soul as it wanders down unconventional paths toward one universal destination. The lyrics are as beautiful as the instrumentation, delivered with a sleepy clarity. Enigmatic and yet dreamily accessible, each song delivers. This is mellow, understated music that refuses to be boring. The Acrobat is a near-seamless collection. The first song “Honey” envelopes you with its fragile strength. It’s a troubled relationship song that covers that well-tread ground without a moment of cliché. The piano part in “Cities” falls apart perfectly into calculated chaos. Every song has an element that draws you in. And once you’re in, there’s always more to find. It would be a mistake to pass Doveman off as a group of depressed alt-minstrels wallowing in their own dejection. Melancholy, yes, they are at times, but they soar above rather than crawl through. [www.dovemanmusic.com]