Jimi Goodwin is best known as one third of Doves. They’ve been on a break since 2010, shortly after which he began work on ‘Odludek’, his debut solo record. Naturally, with Goodwin being the band’s main songwriter and primary singer, there are similarities between this new record – the title of which means ‘loner’ or ‘pilgrim’ in Polish – and the band. Fortunately there are also a few surprises, like the rootsy ‘Hope’ and closer ‘Panic Tree’. ‘Oh! Whiskey’ switches mid-song from straightforward strumming to dreamlike swing; ‘Live Like A River’ recalls the Haçienda house of Goodwin’s previous band Sub Sub; and the off-kilter ‘Man V Dingo’ makes this far more than Doves’ unofficial fifth album. Goodwin could be a solo star yet.
Andy Welch