DOVES' biggest UK tour to date calls on Bristol and Cardiff next week. The band made their long-awaited return earlier this month when they released the single Black And White Town.

It's the first single to be taken from their third album, Some Cities, which was released last week.

The bitter-sweet melancholic song is typical of the band from Manchester, who've made their name on the back of full-throttle gloom. Doves' debut album, Lost Souls, saw phenomenal success and critical acclaim in 2002.

But it was not overnight success for the Manchester band. Brothers Andy and Jez Williams met Jimi Goodwin when they were 15 and started playing music together 10 years ago.

Originally as Sub Sub - a dance band - they scored hits in the early 90s including Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) but the band felt pigeon holed. In the new millennium they returned with a new name, new sound and Lost Souls which spawned hits including Catch The Sun and The Man Who Told Everything.

A second album, The Last Broadcast, followed and sell-out tours of the UK and America established them as an enthralling live act. Doves play Colston Hall, Bristol (0117 922 3686) on Wednesday, March 2, and Cardiff Uni on Saturday, March 5. Tickets are £16.50