feeling great one day we'd reconvene at a later date whereas during Kingdom of Rust we were working solidly day-to-day; clocking in. It was quite militant. We've always had a strong work ethic but this time it was different because of the way we gave each other space if they weren't feeling it. It was a lot easier as a process." The album's artwork was chosen by the band from London-based, Finnish photographer Maria Lax. Goodwin was moved by the images in Lax's 2020 photobook, Some Kind of Heavenly Fire, and he gifted his bandmates a copy each. This marks the first album release by the band to not feature artwork from longtime collaborator Rick Myers. Critical reception The Universal Want was met with critical praise. In the October 2020 issue of Uncut, reviewer Paul Moody awarded the album a 9 out of 10 rating, and praised the album as a "cathartic comeback from the kings of Northwestern noir" and concluded, "With their fifth album they're taking strength from sadness, hope from despair, and wisdom from experience. In troubled times, The Universal Want is exactly what we need." Reviewer Jonathan Taylor of British independent website Gigslutz gave the album a positive review, stating, "There is an autobiographical subtext and musically it encapsulates perfectly three decades of experience and ideas. This time around, devoid of pressure and breaking free from the shackles of expectation, Doves have produced a masterpiece of a record, which arguably could be considered their finest album to date." Along with positive reviews, both Stereogum and The Guardian awarded the album their "Album of the Week" tags for the week of the release date. Accolades In a year-end recap, independent music website Albumism ranked The Universal Want at number 10 on their list of the "100 Best Albums of 2020." Under the Radar ranked the album at number 12 on their "Top 100 Albums of 2020" list. Track listing Notes Credits Technical Produced by Doves and Dan Austin, except tracks 1, 5 and 9 produced by Doves. Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 mixed by Craig Silvey at Toast Studios; assisted by Dani Bennett Spragg. Tracks 2 and 4 additional mixing by Jez Williams. Tracks 6, 7 and 10 mixed by Dan Austin at SoundHorn. Tracks 5 and 9 mixed by Jez Williams for Cedar Music Productions. Engineered by Jez Williams and Dan Austin. Assistant engineers: Henry