Dot Allison - Afterglow.

You half expect to see a sticker on the front of this record. 'Dot Allison: The Swoonsome Voice Of One Dove'. But then you realise that not so many people actually remember the aforementioned band, and the ones that do aren't likely to forget the name of their singer.
Anyway, One Dove was one of the few acts that followed the challenge of 'Screamadelica' and came up with something comparable. In 1993, 'Morningdovewhite' developed Primal Scream's out-of-it grandeur into something more rarefied again. Thus, Dot became torch singer by appointment to the age's cool groovers and pill-eaters. The demise of the band and the rehabilitation of their singer is a hazardous story. Thankfully, the release of 'Afterglow' would suggest that the potential hasn't all gone, that Dot can still hit those buttons marked 'emotional, sensual, aspirational and chemical'.

Her method is mostly impressionistic, coming out of the feel of a song rather than getting busy with the literal details. So 'Morning Sun' is pure mood, underlined by the tune's co-writers, Richard and Tim from Death In Vegas, who make with the disconcerting judders. Loads of hipsters, such as Mani, Kevin Shields and even Hal David have left their mark. The latter has written the lyrics for 'Did I Imagine You?' which is suave and devastating at the same time. 'Mo' Pop' has breathy French lines that don't sound daft.
Dot's style is so distinctive, that there's always a danger of her sounding mannered. It happens a few times. But no matter: 'Afterglow' is considerably higher than the sum of its parts.

Originally appeared at the NMEwebsite. Copyright © IPC Magazine Ltd. 1999 All Rights Reserved.

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